“The death toll from a massive fire at the Arghavan shopping mall in Shahriar has risen to 11”. The governor of Shahriar announced on Wednesday, May 6, that in addition to the fatalities, at least 41 people were injured in the incident.
According to Sajjad Berenji, the extent of the fire is still under investigation. At the same time, judicial authorities in Tehran province have announced the arrest of the owner of the complex, a move that has once again raised the issue of building safety and ineffective supervision by responsible institutions.
“The fire began on Monday, May 5, in the Arghavan shopping mall located in Phase 4 of Andisheh”, and the thick smoke from it also engulfed parts of western Tehran and Karaj. The seven-story mall was evacuated after the fire broke out, according to fire officials.
However, reports indicate that the building’s composite facade played a significant role in the rapid spread of the fire; This was a subject that had been criticized by experts in similar incidents before. Rescue forces were on the scene for hours to fully contain the fire.
The incident occurred in a situation where in recent years, repeated fires in commercial centers and public buildings in Iran have raised concerns about the lack of safety standards and weak supervision.
