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Up to 24 rose the number of people killed in southwestern Iran, following the collapse of an apartment building last Monday. The most serious and deadly disaster in years is attributed to widespread corruption, which has unleashed anger against the public administration. Hundreds of protesters demand that there be a “decisive and serious” trial for those allegedly responsible.
Punishment of “incompetent officials” demanded hundreds of protesters who took to the streets in southwestern Iran, to demand justice after the collapse of a residential and commercial building, in which a large section was under construction.
The events, which occurred in the ten-story Metropol building in the city of Abadan (in the province of Khuzestan), leave 24 confirmed deaths for now, being the deadliest disaster in the Islamic Republic in years.
Right now massive protest took place in Iran when a residential building collapsed in Abadan, Dozens are dead, or trapped. People are chanting: The clerics! get lost, Reza shah bless you, Shame on state TV, Our enemy is Islamic Republic not America.pic.twitter.com/NIJ4btUouL
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) May 25, 2022
Citizens also demonstrated in the city of Khorramshahr and other towns in the same province, as well as in Shahin Shahr in central Iran and the southern city of Shiraz, according to social media posts, to express their solidarity with the families of those killed. deceased. They also called for a “decisive and serious” trial for those allegedly responsible.
Similar protests have been taking place throughout this week. Among the most recent, crowds set fire to a store in Abadan belonging to the owner of the collapsed building, according to local news agencies. All amid accusations from citizens, who allege that the security warnings were ignored.
More than four days after the building collapsed, rescue teams are still working to recover bodies from under the rubble.
Corruption overshadows the deadly collapse
The collapse is attributed to alleged acts of corruption. According to the first hypotheses, those in charge of the project did not take into account the security protocols.
In addition, according to the governor of the province of Khuzestan, Sadeq Jalilian, the building had permission for the construction of six floors and ten were built instead.
The first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, assured that the responsibility for the disaster fell on “those who played with people’s lives to earn more money and that they should not be pardoned but treated to teach a lesson to others.”
“I think there was widespread corruption between the contractor, the builder and the supervisory bodies … and the warnings were ignored,” Mokhber told state television after visiting the site.
Given this scenario, the authorities have arrested the mayor and two former mayors of Abadan, and nine other people, including municipal employees and project supervisors, as pointed out by Sadeq Yafarí, the prosecutor of the region of the collapse.
As during protests over rising food prices in recent weeks, residents reported interruptions in internet services. An apparent attempt to stop the use of social networks to organize rallies and spread videos of the demonstrations.
For their part, the officials denied having blocked the network.
With Reuters and AFP
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