Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Iran building collapse: Protesters turn on government over disaster

Iran building collapse: Protesters turn on government over disaster

Protests against authorities in Iran in the wake of a deadly building collapse are continuing a week after the incident, videos on social media show.

Angry demonstrators have taken to the streets nightly across Khuzestan province, where the unfinished building fell down last Monday.

The death toll rose to 34, with four people still missing, the state news agency Irna reported on Tuesday.

The incident in Abadan is the deadliest of its kind in Iran for years.

Thirteen people, reportedly including the mayor, two former mayors and the building contractor have been arrested over the collapse, Irna says.

However protesters are blaming the wider authorities, accusing them of negligence and corruption.

Demonstrations have also been held in other parts of Iran, with shouts of "Death to Khamenei!" - a reference to Iran's supreme leader - heard on unverified video posted on social media and said to have taken place in the south of the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Monday night, Reuters news agency reported.

Similar shouts were heard at protests in the southern port city of Bushehr, Reuters said.

On Sunday, a cleric sent by the ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was shouted down as he tried to address mourners near the site of the collapse.

He was heard to whisper to a bodyguard "What's happening?" before trying to calm the crowd, which responded with cries of "Shameless!", according to the Associated Press news agency.

Some rushed a platform used by state TV which was showing the event, cutting off the broadcast, local media said.

Police used force against the protesters there and unverified video also purported to show violence between police and demonstrators in other unidentified places, Reuters said.

A search and rescue operation meanwhile is continuing at the site of the collapsed 10-storey Metropol office block.

Irna reported that the lower floors of the building, on Abadan's busiest commercial street, had been open for a few days while construction work continued above.

The Metropol building was located on one of Abadan's busiest commercial streets


The incident has raised questions about building safety standards in the country.

During the 1980s Iraq-Iran war, the region faced huge destruction - and many of the projects to rebuild the area were criticised for poor construction practices.


Watch: The aftermath of a deadly building collapse in Iran


Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
×