Tehran’s unsafe buildings revealed
The safety of buildings has been an ongoing concern for the citizens of Tehran. In light of this, Gholamabbas Torki, the deputy for people’s rights and crime prevention of the prosecutor-general of Iran, recently announced that there is no legal prohibition on publishing a list of unsafe buildings in Tehran.
The announcement has sparked both concern and relief among the city’s inhabitants. The former is because there are almost 100 unsafe buildings scattered around the capital, and the latter is because now the citizens finally know which buildings they better avoid.
The publication of the list of unsafe buildings in Tehran is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. It demonstrates the seriousness of authorities in taking care of the safety of citizens, especially after the tragic collapse of the Metropol High-rise last year. It is a testament to their commitment to fulfilling their promises.
Tehran firefighting experts visited 33,000 unsafe buildings ever since. The level of unsafety varies between buildings, and there were 129 high-risk buildings in Tehran. However, some of them have since been made safe, and currently, the number of such unsafe buildings has decreased to below 100. The CEO of the Tehran Fire Department also announced a few days ago that he had sent a list of unsafe buildings to judicial authorities, according to Fars News Agency.
In this regard, Gholamabbas Torki stated in an interview with IRNA, “Publishing the names of unsafe buildings in Tehran transparently and identifying their unsafety from a legal perspective does not have any legal prohibition.” The responsibility of identifying these unsafe buildings falls on the Tehran Municipality, which has, in turn, entrusted the task of announcing the names to judicial bodies to take into account the psychological safety of shopkeepers, citizens, and property owners.
This move is a step towards ensuring the safety and security of citizens in Tehran. In recent years, there have been several incidents of building collapses and fires in Iran, resulting in the loss of many lives. The collapse of a 17-story commercial building in Tehran in 2017 resulted in the death of at least 20 firefighters.
The importance of the safety of buildings cannot be overstated, and showing transparency in identifying unsafe buildings is a necessary step toward addressing this issue. The move also highlights the need for governments to prioritize the safety and security of their citizens, especially in matters as crucial as this.