The death toll from the collapse of a residential building in the Iranian port city of Abadan has reached 37 as demonstrators continued to protest what they see as widespread negligence and corruption among officials.
Officials said on June 1 that another body had been found under the rubble, bringing to 37 the number of those killed while another 37 were injured in the collapse on May 23 of the Metropolis 10-story residential and commercial building.
Iran's Education Ministry said on May 31 that five of those killed were students.
It is not yet clear if other bodies are still buried under the rubble.
The collapse of the unfinished building was one of Iran's deadliest such disasters in years.
SEE ALSO: As Bread Costs Skyrocket In Iran, So Does The Risk Of Social UnrestAuthorities have blamed the collapse of the building on local corruption and lax safety and say 13 people, including mayors and other officials, have so far been arrested for construction violations.
But the collapse sparked daily protests in the city in the oil-producing region of Khuzestan as the country reels from unrest over rising food prices and other economic issues amid the harsh sanctions imposed by the United States over Iran's nuclear program.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on June 1 that Iranian authorities last week arrested a local journalist at a ceremony for the victims of the building collapse.
Freelance reporter Arash Ghaleh-Golab was detained on May 27, the CPJ said. During Ghaleh-Golab's arrest, security forces beat and kicked him, the New York-based advocacy group reported, adding that it was unclear whether he was covering the event as a journalist or attending as a private citizen.
Ghaleh-Golab has written political commentary and editorials for various local publications. Most recently, his work was published by state-run website Ensaf News.
As mourners gathered late into the night on May 31, videos posted on social media purported to show a heavy security force presence in Abadan as authorities sought to quell the weeklong protests over the disaster.
One video showed demonstrators setting fire to tires and blocking roads in the nearby town of Shadegan late on May 31. The authenticity of the footage could not be immediately confirmed from independent sources.
Video posted on social media earlier showed some protesters shouting "Death to Khamenei," a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.