Three Workers Die in Building Collapse in Tehran
Three workers lost their lives as a result of the collapse of a building undergoing demolition in Tehran. Iranian law enforcement is investigating the causes of the incident. Workplace accidents and the rate of deaths and injuries resulting from work-related incidents in Iran are very high.
The bodies of three workers who were buried under debris from the collapse of a building being demolished on Zafar Street in northern Tehran were extracted from the rubble by firefighters after 10 hours.
Jalal Maleki, spokesperson for the Tehran Fire Department and Safety Services Organization, said on Friday, the 18th of Mordad (August 9th): “At 16:58 in the afternoon of the previous day, workers were demolishing a 3-story building when suddenly the southeastern section of the building collapsed and four workers became trapped under the rubble.”
According to ILNA news agency, Maleki added: “Firefighters rescued one worker alive but injured from under the rubble in the initial moments, and given the large volume of debris, the firefighters’ search and debris removal operations continued until 3 in the morning.”
According to Tehran’s fire department spokesperson, after 10 hours, firefighters extracted three workers from the rubble, and emergency personnel on site confirm that all three construction workers have lost their lives.
Jalal Maleki also announced the conclusion of the firefighting rescue operations and stated that the cause of this fatal incident is “under investigation” and the site will be “handed over to law enforcement for further investigation.”
The Tehran fire department spokesperson, in a conversation with ISNA, stating that “the incident site was an old, three-story building undergoing demolition,” said that workers were operating in the southeastern section of this three-story building when suddenly that section collapsed and three workers became trapped under the debris.
Workplace accidents and the rate of deaths and injuries resulting from work-related incidents in Iran are very high, and workplace safety standards are low. Among these, the lives and health of construction workers are at greater risk than in other sectors. Mehr news agency reported approximately three years ago, citing the head of the Construction Workers Union, that Iran “holds the world record with 15,000 workplace accidents.”
Source: DW
