(TEHRAN) The collapse of a building in the south-west of Iran more than two weeks ago claimed the lives of 41 people, after the discovery of three new corpses, local authorities announced on Monday.
Posted at 6:39
On May 23, the Metropol building, under construction in Abadan, one of the main cities in the province of Khuzestan, in the south-west of the country, partially collapsed in the heart of a busy street.
This disaster, one of the deadliest in years in Iran, has led to a series of demonstrations across the country in solidarity with the families of the victims and against the authorities, accused of corruption and incompetence.
“The number of victims of the Metropol accident rises to 41 after the discovery and identification of three other bodies,” city governor Ehsan Abbaspour was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
The latest report announced Sunday by Mr. Abbaspour reported 38 dead.
“Rescue teams are still trying to find other […] body” under the rubble, added the governor, the highest local authority.
A few days after the tragedy, nocturnal demonstrations took place in Abadan and other cities, particularly in the center of the country, to mourn the victims and demand the prosecution of those responsible.
Regional justice claimed to have arrested 13 people, including the mayor of Abadan and two former mayors, accused of being “responsible” for the tragedy.
“The remains of the building will be completely destroyed after removing the debris,” Vice President for Executive Affairs Solat Mortazavi was quoted as saying by Irna.
In 2017, the collapse in central Tehran of the Plasco Building, a 15-storey shopping mall dating from the early 1960s, killed 22 people, including 16 firefighters.