Alalam - Iran

The blaze was almost uncontrollable and Tehran’s 10 firefighter centers’ staff failed to quench the fire.

Around 11:35 local time, 12-story building collapsed with dust covering the much-busy area of Jumhouri St., just in the vicinity of Tehran Great Bazaar.

That part of the Jumhouri had been center for many shops, with the building itself a textile giant in the area.
Authorities say the conflagration started in the 9th story and consummated the whole building.

No official report of casualties yet.

Dozens of firefighters were feared trapped under the rubble after Iran's oldest high-rise, Plasco building in downtown Tehran, collapsed live on TV on Thursday following a fire.

State television said 200 firefighters had been called to the scene and 38 had already been injured battling the blaze before it fell.

The building, dating from the early 1960s and including a shopping centre and clothing workshops, had been evacuated after the fire broke out early on Thursday.

But state television said "tens" of firefighters may have been inside when it collapsed.

Dramatic images showed flames pouring out of the top floors before it crumbled to the ground, AFP reports.

At least 38 people were injured when a high-rise building in Tehran collapsed in a fire, state television reported on Thursday."The building is one of the oldest buildings in Tehran, Reuters report.