Police ordered the crowd not to chant slogans against the Islamic Republic and then ordered them to leave, calling their rally illegal. During unrest, Iran has disrupted internet and telephone communications to affected areas, while also limiting the movement of journalists. The collapse has raised questions about the safety of similar buildings and underscored an ongoing crisis in Iranian construction projects. The collapse reminded many of the 2017 fire and collapse of the iconic Plasco building in Tehran that killed 26 people. In 1978, an intentionally set fire at Cinema Rex — just a few blocks from the collapsed building in modern Abadan — killed hundreds.

Source: ABC News May 31, 2022 03:07 UTC