IRNA � Nine days after the collapse of Plasco Trade Center in downtown Tehran, the rubble removal operation in the building came to an end on Friday, according to Tehran Deputy Mayor Mojtaba Yazdani.

The 17-storey building caught fire early in the morning on Jan. 19. The whole building collapsed while the firefighters were trying to extinguish the fire.

Twenty people, including 16 firefighters were killed under the rubble.

Yazdani said that some 20,000 tons of debris were removed from the site of the incident with the use of 1,700 trucks.

Jomhouri street in front of the collapsed Plasco building will reopen on Saturday, the official said.