Fatemeh Ghasemi, the only survivor of the Abadan Metropol incident

Demonstrations across Khuzestan province and various cities throughout Iran occurred in the week following the building collapse, which had combined with several weeks of ongoing demonstrations over rising food costs. BBC News and Reuters news agency have reported that protestors have blamed the incident on government negligence and graft and chanted slogans targeted at government officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In contrast, authorities have blamed the collapse on “local corruption and lax safety standards.”

August 13, 2022 | 9:03 pm