At least two people have been killed and several others injured after a three-story building in Iran collapsed, just 17 days after a similar accident took at least 43 lives.
The ILNA news agency quoted the spokesman of the country's emergency organization as saying on June 9 that four of those rescued from the rubble of the building, which is located in the town of Nowsud in western Iran, were "in critical condition."
The official said the cause of the accident was not yet known, but investigators were looking into whether a gas leak was the cause.
The accident comes after a tower block in the southwestern city of Abadan crumbled on May 23, killing at least 43 people. The collapse of the partially finished 10-story Metropol building has sparked angry protests in solidarity with the families of the dead.
The protesters say government negligence and endemic corruption are behind the accident. So far, 13 people are reported to have been arrested for construction violations.
In recent years there have been several cases of building collapse in Iran. Experts largely attribute the incidents to disregard for safety standards and corruption in urban management.
In 2017, 20 people were killed, including 16 firefighters in a fire and then the collapse of the Plasco building in the capital city of Tehran.