IRNA � President Hassan Rouhani has in a message praised braveries of the devoted firefighters, who lost their lives in the rescue operations in the Plasco building of Tehran on Thursday.


President Rouhani in his message condoled the bereaved families of the victims and the epic that the devoted firefighters created while serving and their loss of life have made Iranian nation mournful, while praising their spirit of devotion and self-sacrifice.

The president thanked all the relief-aid workers, firefighters and medical, police and military personnel involved in the rescue operations.

He wished divine forgiveness for all those who lost their lives in the 'tragic' incident and asked all Iranian citizens to pray for recovery of the injured and rescue of those being possibly alive in the wake of the event.

The fire started in the 17-storey business building in the early hours on Thursday. It remains to be unclear how the fire began.

The tower building was built in the early 1960s and it was the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction.

A large number of businesses in the building were believed to be involved in the textile and garment industries.