Iranian authorities investigating a building collapse that killed at least 11 people have detained Abadan Mayor Hossein Hamidpour and nine others, state media reported.
The 10-storey residential and commercial building in Abadan partly collapsed on Monday, trapping at least 80 people under the rubble, according to state TV.
“Ten people who are the main elements implicated in this incident, including the current and former Abadan mayors, a number of municipality employees and those who supervised this project have been detained and the investigation continues,” local prosecutor Sadeq Jafari Chegeni told Iran state TV on Tuesday.
Authorities said other sections of the building, which is on Amir Kabir Street, may collapse and urged people not to gather near the site.
Rescuers dug through debris on Tuesday, with Mojtaba Khaledi, spokesman for the state emergency services, telling TV that about 50 people may still be trapped under the rubble.
People lined up at the local blood bank to make donations for the injured.
Video footage taken at the scene showed bloodied and dust-covered casualties being removed from the area as rescue workers sifted through the rubble and mangled steel. Several cars also appeared to have been crushed.
The cause of the collapse, which occurred during a sandstorm, is still unclear but the owner of the building and the project manager of the construction company that built it have been arrested.
No major earthquake was recorded on Monday near Abadan, about 660 kilometres south-west of Tehran.
Politicians opened a separate parliamentary inquiry into the case on Tuesday, trying to determine why the building collapsed.
A local journalist in Abadan had repeatedly raised concerns about the building’s construction, beginning from last year, publishing images that he said showed sagging floors at the first tower. He also alleged that the building permits process was riddled with corruption.
Abadan became the focus of development by the British beginning in 1909 as they built what became the world’s largest oil refinery at the time. Iran later nationalised its oil industry in the decades before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The city and the surrounding region were destroyed during Iraq’s long war against Iran in the 1980s. In the years since, private and state-linked projects rapidly came up as the area was rebuilt, amid complaints of shoddy construction practices.
The collapse reminded many of the 2017 fire and collapse of the Plasco building in Tehran that killed 26 people.
Abadan has had its share of historic disasters as well. In 1978, an intentionally set fire at Cinema Rex in the city killed hundreds. Anger over the blaze triggered unrest across Iran’s oil-rich regions and helped lead to the Islamic Revolution that toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
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Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
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- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
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Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
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Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
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Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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Draw for Europa League last-16
Istanbul Basaksehir v Copenhagen; Olympiakos Piraeus v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen; VfL Wolfsburg v Shakhtar Donetsk; Inter Milan v Getafe
Sevilla v AS Roma; Eintracht Frankfurt or Salzburg v Basel; LASK v Manchester United
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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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6027 – Dh 100
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OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Our family matters legal consultant
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Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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