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Al-Monitor – After widespread protests intensified in the wake of a building collapse in southwestern Iran that led to at least 34 deaths, Iranian authorities are vowing to take measures.
The collapse of the building and the resulting deaths sparked anger at government mismanagement and corruption. After the collapse, many warnings by experts and officials came to light about the construction of the tower and how safety protocols were ignored. Iranian parliamentarian Jalil Rashid Koocheh accused the developers of cutting corners and risking the lives of Iranians “for a few extra tomans.”
Anti-government chants against the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were heard at many of the protests. One of the largest protests took place on May 30, a week after the building had collapsed. It is not clear if protests are building or if security services have been able to disperse them for good. Videos shared online showed security officers firing into the crowds. While the protests have been located in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, the building collapse and general anger have attracted national attention and sympathy.
Rescue crews are still working on the site of the collapsed building. According to Sadegh Khalilian, there are a total of 38 missing individuals, meaning that as of today there are likely four individuals still buried underneath the rubble.
Vice President Mohammad Mokhber said that the property of the Metropol owner has been confiscated in order to compensate for the damages. Ali Bahadori Jahromi, spokesman for the Raisi administration, said that the administration will pursue the corruption case of the Metropol building collapse. The Raisi administration has said that the governor of Khuzestan under President Hassan Rouhani would also be questioned. In Iran, the governors of the country’s provinces are appointed by the Interior Ministry of the administration in charge.
Iranian media has provided extensive coverage of the collapse and the vows by officials to address the case and compensate those who suffered damages. Iranian media has not covered much of the protests that resulted from the building collapse.
This latest incident reminded many Iranians of the Plasco building collapse in 2017 that was caused by a fire. In that incident, 20 firemen were killed in the 17-story building. An investigation after the event showed that many fire safety protocols were not adhered to.
