Fire collapses building in Iran, over 200 people injured
Many firefighters are feared dead after a landmark high-rise building in Iran’s capital, Tehran, caught fire and collapsed, state media report.
Two hundred had battled the blaze in the 17-storey Plasco building for several hours before it fell to the ground in a matter of seconds.
More than 200 people were also reportedly injured in the incident.
Completed in 1962, the building was once Tehran’s tallest and contained a shopping centre and clothing workshops.
Officials said there had been warnings about lack of safety in the building.
The fire reportedly began around 08:00 (04:30 GMT) on Thursday, at a time when many of the shopkeepers were not inside.
Initial photos showed flames and smoke pouring out of the top floors.
Ten fire stations responded to the blaze and state television reported that dozens of firefighters were inside the building when the north wall collapsed, swiftly bringing down the whole structure.
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