A devastating fire at Tehran’s Shadabad Iron Market has left at least three dead and seven injured, once again highlighting the Iranian regime’s chronic negligence and disregard for public safety. The fire broke out on Saturday, October 21, 2024, with Tehran’s state media reporting on the scale of the tragedy that engulfed the market.
According to Jalal Maleki, spokesperson for the Tehran Fire Department, “firefighters found the bodies of three individuals during their search operations,” as he told IRNA on Saturday night. Maleki also confirmed to ISNA that seven people sustained injuries, with one suffering from burns and the others from minor injuries.
The blaze, which started in a large glue warehouse, spread rapidly due to the presence of highly flammable materials such as gas cylinders, adhesive containers, and spray cans. Videos shared on social media captured massive explosions and thick clouds of black smoke visible from various parts of Tehran, even in central and western districts.
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Explosion & fire reported at Aftab Oil Refinery in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran. Several casualties reported. Details unfolding.https://t.co/N6o9QBiTc0 pic.twitter.com/pq6vNCVcAh— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 7, 2024
In interviews with state-run media, Maleki acknowledged that multiple explosions rocked the area during the fire, adding, “Thousands of dangerous items, including aerosol cans, pipes, and glue, are exploding and fueling the fire.” The manager of Tehran’s Fire Department, Ghodratollah Mohammadi, also confirmed to IRIB that the explosions were caused by “gas cylinders and glue barrels stored improperly at the market.”
Despite these recurring dangers, officials admitted that safety warnings had been ignored. Mohammadi shifted the blame, stating that authorities had issued repeated safety warnings to the market’s owners in the past, but these warnings were ignored, which contributed to the severity of the fire. “We had warned the owners many times, but they didn’t pay attention, and today we are witnessing such a disaster,” he said, effectively shifting the blame onto the market’s owners rather than taking responsibility for enforcing safety standards.
The Tehran Public Prosecutor, who visited the scene, also echoed these sentiments, telling IRNA that many shops had failed to follow basic safety protocols in storing dangerous materials. This reflects a broader problem of systemic negligence across sectors, as safety regulations are ignored or poorly enforced, leaving the public vulnerable to disasters like this.
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Explosions reported along Borujen's national gas pipeline, causing fires and disruptions. State officials and media blamed "terrorists" and "sabotage" of being at play. https://t.co/sRz1GAhzec pic.twitter.com/FvMaFLz4wf— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 14, 2024
In an attempt to downplay the incident, the regime’s media scrambled to reassure the public. The Tehran Emergency Services initially downplayed the severity, with spokesperson Shervin Tabrizi saying that the injuries were minor and treated on-site. However, the extent of the damage and the continued explosions paint a different picture.
State-run media such as Hamshahri Online reported that the victims’ identities remain unknown due to the extent of the damage, and the Forensic Medicine Organization has begun DNA testing to identify the bodies. The delays in identifying the victims only add to the tragedy, leaving families in anguish while the regime continues to shift blame and avoid accountability.
As with many similar incidents in Iran, this tragic fire in the Shadabad market is not an isolated event but a symptom of a regime that prioritizes its own survival over the well-being of its people. The lack of enforcement of safety regulations, disregard for warnings, and failure to protect public spaces are stark reminders of a system that continuously fails its citizens.