Iranians are outraged and saddened by the destruction of the country's oldest high-rise, the Plasco building, which collapsed Jan. 19 after being engulfed by fire. The 17-story structure, completed in 1962, was the center of clothing production in Tehran. The presence of textiles may have led to the rapid spread of the flames along with building managers' having ignored repeated warnings about the lack of adherence to fire safety regulations. Many Iranians are calling for the resignation of Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf for mismanagement.

The Plasco, located downtown on Jomhuri Street, stood around the corner from the British Embassy and the main foreign exchange offices on Ferdowsi Street. Sasan Aghaei, a journalist with the Reformist daily Etemaad, tweeted, “Plasco is one of the symbols of Iran taking steps toward modernization and industrialization. Today, one of the symbols of Tehran collapsed.”

The fire at the Plasco reportedly began at 7:59 a.m., leading to the dispatch of 200 firefighters, who had success battling the devastating blaze. Journalists rushed to report on the fire, which was also recorded on camera, including by Iranian state TV, which carried live coverage of the fire and the building's collapse at 11:15.

Iranian news agencies have reported that a number of firefighters are trapped under the debris and that scores are feared to have been killed. The official Islamic Republic News Agency has reported 50 dead, but city officials have not confirmed the figure.