Iran building collapse death toll rises to five; 11 injured, more feared trapped

At least five people succumbed to traumatic injuries caused by falling rubble and debris, while 11 others were hospitalised after several buildings collapsed in Iran's capital on Monday, according to local media.

Iran's ISNA news agency reported that two policemen were also among the victims as they were accompanying fellow officers in securing the planned demolition on Sunday of "unauthorised buildings" in Tehran's southwest.

Jalal Maleki, a spokesperson for Tehran's fire department, told local media that the overall "toll from the collapse" has reached five while, according to ISNA, rescue operations were underway to find others who may be trapped under the rubble.

According to AFP, authorities had begun the demolition of one building when five others collapsed.

Photographs from the scene issued by Tasnim showed rescuers and heavy equipment working below a pile of debris and twisted metal several metres (yards) high, with other unfinished and partially damaged buildings around them.

ISNA quoted a police statement saying the buildings which collapsed did not comply "with construction safety measures".

A Tehran city official said on Saturday that authorities had demolished more than 46,000 unauthorised buildings over the past two years, according to Hamshahri newspaper.

In May 2022, a building collapse in Iran's southwest killed 43 people, in one of the country's deadliest such incidents.

The collapse of the 10-storey Metropol building, which had been under construction in the city of Abadan in Khuzestan province, sparked protests across the country decrying corruption and incompetent authorities.