DUBAI, United Arab Emirates ( Associated Press) – Iranian riot police clashed with angry protesters in the southwestern city of Abadan, according to online video, and state-run media reported that the death toll from a building collapse on Monday reached 31. Went.
The official IRNA news agency said two more bodies were pulled from the rubble of an under-construction tower that had fallen a week ago. Rescue workers were on Monday trying to clear debris and search for more victims under the broken section of the Metropole building. Of the 37 injured, two are hospitalised.
The fatal collapse has raised questions about the safety of similar buildings in the country and underscored the ongoing crisis in Iranian construction projects. The collapse is reminiscent of the 2017 fire and collapse of the iconic Plasco building in Tehran, which killed 26 people.
This has attracted angry protesters on the streets of Abadan over the past week, leading to unrest and clashes with riot police on several occasions.
The semi-official Fars news agency said on Sunday night when a group of protesters attacked state television’s camera crew, police were forced to disperse people to restore order and security.
Another semi-official news agency Tasneem said more bodies were feared under the 10-storey building.
Foreign-language Persian-language television channels showed footage from Abadan, which showed youth in the city clashing with police and throwing stones at them. As in the past few days, it was not immediately clear whether anyone was injured or that police had made any arrests.
