I pray for the families and hope it was an accident and not intentional.
PHOTO: Iranian firefighters work at the scene of the collapsed Plasco building. (AP: Ebrahim Noroozi)
Loss of an 'iconic presence'
A high-rise building in Tehran engulfed by a fire has collapsed, killing at least 20 firefighters and injuring some 70 people, Iranian state television quoted the city's mayor as saying.
The disaster struck the Plasco building, an iconic 50-year-old structure in central Tehran just north of the capital's sprawling bazaar.
The disaster struck the Plasco building, an iconic 50-year-old structure in central Tehran just north of the capital's sprawling bazaar.
Iran's state-run Press TV announced the firefighters' deaths, without giving a source for the information.
Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before the collapse. Police tried to keep out shopkeepers and others wanting to rush back in to collect their valuables.
The building came down in a matter of seconds, shown live on state television, which had begun an interview with a journalist at the scene. A side of the building came down first, tumbling perilously close to a firefighter perched on a ladder and spraying water on the blaze.
Footage of the scene showed distraught firefighters reacting in horror as they realised their colleagues were still inside the building.
Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said there were "no ordinary civilians" trapped under the rubble. However, witnesses said some people had slipped through the police cordon and gone back into the building.
"At least 20 firefighters who were trapped under rubble have died. They are martyrs. They lost their lives when trying to help people," he said.
But Tehran Fire Department spokesman Jalal Maleki said he could not confirm the death of about 20 firefighters but "some of them have been killed".
He said he "had repeatedly warned the building managers about the lack of safety".
Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before the collapse. Police tried to keep out shopkeepers and others wanting to rush back in to collect their valuables.
The building came down in a matter of seconds, shown live on state television, which had begun an interview with a journalist at the scene. A side of the building came down first, tumbling perilously close to a firefighter perched on a ladder and spraying water on the blaze.
Footage of the scene showed distraught firefighters reacting in horror as they realised their colleagues were still inside the building.
Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said there were "no ordinary civilians" trapped under the rubble. However, witnesses said some people had slipped through the police cordon and gone back into the building.
"At least 20 firefighters who were trapped under rubble have died. They are martyrs. They lost their lives when trying to help people," he said.
But Tehran Fire Department spokesman Jalal Maleki said he could not confirm the death of about 20 firefighters but "some of them have been killed".
He said he "had repeatedly warned the building managers about the lack of safety".
A thick plume of brown smoke rose over the site after the collapse. Onlookers wailed in grief.
Among those watching the disaster unfold was Masoumeh Kazemi who said she rushed to the building as her two sons and a brother had jobs in the garment workshops occupying the upper floors of the high-rise.
"I do not know where they are now," Ms Kazemi said, crying.
In a nearby intersection, Abbas Nikkhoo stood with tears in his eyes.
"My nephew was working in a workshop there," he said. "He has been living with me since moving to Tehran last year from the north of the country in hopes of finding a job."
Jalal Maleki, a fire department spokesman, earlier told Iranian state television that 10 firehouses responded to the blaze, which was first reported around 8:00 am local time.
"The building is one of the oldest buildings in Tehran. The Plasco building is a very old building in southern Tehran. It is mostly a commercial building," state TV said.
"The flames could be seen kilometres away from the old building … but most of the residents and shopkeepers in the building have been evacuated," the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The Iranian military sent units to help with the disaster, state television reported.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani sent condolences to the families of those killed.
Mr Rouhani ordered an investigation and compensation for those affected, state TV reported.
Among those watching the disaster unfold was Masoumeh Kazemi who said she rushed to the building as her two sons and a brother had jobs in the garment workshops occupying the upper floors of the high-rise.
"I do not know where they are now," Ms Kazemi said, crying.
In a nearby intersection, Abbas Nikkhoo stood with tears in his eyes.
"My nephew was working in a workshop there," he said. "He has been living with me since moving to Tehran last year from the north of the country in hopes of finding a job."
Jalal Maleki, a fire department spokesman, earlier told Iranian state television that 10 firehouses responded to the blaze, which was first reported around 8:00 am local time.
"The building is one of the oldest buildings in Tehran. The Plasco building is a very old building in southern Tehran. It is mostly a commercial building," state TV said.
"The flames could be seen kilometres away from the old building … but most of the residents and shopkeepers in the building have been evacuated," the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The Iranian military sent units to help with the disaster, state television reported.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani sent condolences to the families of those killed.
Mr Rouhani ordered an investigation and compensation for those affected, state TV reported.
PHOTO: Iranian firefighters work at the scene of the collapsed Plasco building. (AP: Ebrahim Noroozi)Loss of an 'iconic presence'
The Plasco building was an iconic presence on the Tehran skyline.
The 17-story tower was built in the early 1960s by Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian and named after his plastics manufacturing company. It was the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction.
Elghanian was tried on charges that included espionage and executed in the months after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current ruling system to power
— a move that prompted many members of the country's longstanding Jewish community to flee.
The tower is attached to a multi-story shopping mall featuring a sky-lit atrium and a series of turquoise-coloured fountains. It was not immediately clear if the mall was damaged.
The 17-story tower was built in the early 1960s by Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian and named after his plastics manufacturing company. It was the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction.
Elghanian was tried on charges that included espionage and executed in the months after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current ruling system to power
— a move that prompted many members of the country's longstanding Jewish community to flee.The tower is attached to a multi-story shopping mall featuring a sky-lit atrium and a series of turquoise-coloured fountains. It was not immediately clear if the mall was damaged.