“The grievous and regrettable tragedy of the burning and collapse of Plasco building in Tehran and the innocent and heart-rending martyrdom of a number of devoted firefighters have left a deep wound of woe and sorrow on the hearts of all of us,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote in a message Friday night.
He went on to voice sympathy and condolences with the families of victims and the injured, praying for patience for their colleagues and the mourning Iranian nation, and for God’s protection over all self-giving people of the Islamic Republic of Iran in all areas.
The 17-story high-rise Plasco Building in Central Tehran was ablaze at around 8 AM Thrusday morning and after about three hours of attempts at extinguishing the fire, 15 storeys of the building collapsed around the remaining firefighters at the site. Search and rescue missions have been underway since Thursday. So far, two bodies have been recovered from the debris and the number of the trapped is estimated as many as 30.
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