Flames This Time at the Ministry of Power’s Doorstep

According to FCN news agency; the 13-story thermal power building of the Ministry of Power has been engulfed in flames and burning for more than two days. The fire started at 10 a.m. on Monday from the fourth basement level and is continuing to spread.

Given that the fire has occurred in the documents and records center and archive, the large volume of fire, difficulty in accessing the source, and controlling the fire have become challenging. According to received reports, part of the western section of the building has slightly subsided and cracks have formed at the building’s entrance and are increasing. Therefore, with these circumstances, there is a possibility of complete collapse or subsidence of a section of the building.

However, in the meantime, similar to the Plasco building incident, there has been considerable speculation that does not seem far-fetched; first, given the horrific experience of the Plasco building, why did Tehran Municipality and the Fire Department issue three written warnings to the Ministry of Power about the building’s lack of safety, but not only did the Ministry of Power ignore it, but the Municipality also took no other legal action in this regard? Second, why and how did the fire extinguisher capsules suddenly activate? Third, what special documents and records existed in this section that have now disappeared with such a strange incident?

Some reflection on these questions reveals certain aspects of the matter, the most important of which is the lack of foresight and weak management of the Municipality. Unfortunately, municipalities have distanced themselves from their primary duties and have devoted all their efforts to increasing fee collections.