from AlJaz inside is a link to PressTV which has video of the collapse
The 17-storey building dated from the early 1960s and had a shopping centre and clothing workshops inside [AFP]
At least 20
later 30
firefighters have died after a major commercial building in Iran's capital, Tehran, collapsed following a huge fire, according to the city's mayor.
The confirmation of the death toll by Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf came after conflicting casualty reports earlier on Thursday, with some state media outlets initially reporting dozens of deaths but later backtracking.
Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before the building, just north of the capital's sprawling bazaar, fell. 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 thick plume of brown smoke rose over the site after the collapse. |