2024-05-04T08:19:21-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/149987585/the-landmark-plasco-building-in-tehran-burns-to-the-ground-claiming-the-lives-of-at-least-20 Nicholas Korody 2017-01-20T12:56:00-05:00 >2017-01-20T12:58:50-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/kw/kwxdxl8t0be81cio.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>The Plasco Building, a landmark structure in Tehran, burned to the ground yesterday, claiming the lives of at least 20 firefighters. An additional 70 people were injured, 23 of them seriously, according to a report by the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38675628" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BBC</a>. The fire began on the ninth floor and, by the time many firefighters had entered the building, caused the north wall to collapse, which quickly brought down the rest of the building. While the exact cause of the blaze is still unknown, apparently managers had expressed worries about safety issues in the past.</p><p>The Plasco Building was once the tallest in the city and contained a shopping center and clothing workshops. It was built by the Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian who was executed following the 1979 Islamic Revolution after being accused and convicted of spying for Israel.</p>