Iran: 30 killed as burning high-rise collapses in Tehran

A high-rise building in Tehran engulfed by a fire collapsed on Thursday, killing at least 30 people, including firefighters, state media reported.

At least 70 people are believed to be trapped inside the Plasco building, an iconic 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. Local Iranian state television said 30 civilians were injured in the disaster, while the state-run IRNA news agency said 45 firefighters had been injured.

The steel structre of Iran's oldest high-rise, the 15-storey Plasco building, is seen after the collapse of the building in downtown Tehran on January 19, 2017.(AFP)

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.

The steel structre of Iran's oldest high-rise, the 15-storey Plasco building, is seen after the collapse of the building in downtown Tehran on January 19, 2017. (AFP)

A thick plume of brown smoke rose over the site after the collapse. Onlookers wailed in grief.

Jalal Maleki, a fire department spokesman, earlier told Iranian state television that 10 firehouses responded to the blaze, which was first reported around 8 am.  The Iranian military sent units to help with the disaster, state television reported.

The Plasco building was an iconic presence on the Tehran skyline

The 17-story tower was built in the early 1960s. It was the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction.

The tower is attached to a multistory shopping mall featuring a sky-lit atrium and a series of turquoise-colored fountains. It wasn’t immediately clear if the mall was damaged

source : gulfnews