Five dead, 80 trapped as 10-story building collapses in Iran

Five people were killed when a 10-storey building in Iran’s southern city of Abadan partly collapsed and rescuers were trying to help at least 80 people left trapped under the rubble, Iranian state TV reported on Monday.

The semi-official Mehr news agency identified the building as a residential-commercial property on Amir Kabir street in the city, which is close to the border with Iraq.

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“Parts of the 10-story Metropol building, located in Abadan, capital of Khuzestan province, collapsed,” state television said, noting that the premises was still under construction.

At least 80 people were trapped under the rubble and rescue dogs were deployed to help locate them, according to a regional branch of the Red Crescent.

The building is located on Abadan’s busiest street where “commercial, medical and office” buildings predominate, according to state television.

State TV said emergency teams were being dispatched from other cities to help with the rescue operation, with two teams
of rescue dogs, a helicopter and seven rescue vehicles already at the scene. It showed footage of angry Abadan residents
shouting slogans against the city authorities.

The head of Khuzestan province’s judiciary has ordered an investigation into the building’s collapse, and its owner andthe contractor who built it have been arrested, state TV said.

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