MNA – A parliament report on the Jan. 19 collapse of an ageing high-rise in downtown Tehran has found seven entities responsible for the tragic incident in which 16 firefighters lost their lives trying to contain the flames.


According to a report read by spokesperson of Iranian Parliament Civil Committee on Wed., the Plasco building incident, a 17-story high-rise landmark shopping center in Tehran which collapsed on 19 January 2017 during a skyscraper fire and led to the death of 16 firefighters, was due to unauthorized use of heating devices by workers on the 10th floor as well as unauthorized and non-standard wiring. Other main causes of the fire and collapse have been identified as lack of required safety standards in industrial power system, lighting system, ventilation, heating system, protection, and warning system, as well as lack of sufficient firefighting equipment in the building.

The report has identified seven entities as having been responsible for Plasco collapse, namely owner and manager of the building, Iran Chamber of Guilds, Tehran Municipality and City Council, Tehran Governorate, Ministry of Labor, Management and Planning Organization of Iran, and National Disaster Management Organization of Iran.

According to the report, there are over 100 buildings similar to Plasco in Tehran and other cities which do not follow the required safety measures and are greatly at risk of fire and collapse.