Iran tower collapses after blaze — in pictures

Iran’s state-run Press TV reports that people are believed to be trapped in the rubble of the collapsed high-rise. Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA

An Iranian fireman looks on. Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA

Iranian television said 200 firefighters had been called to the scene and 38 had already been injured battling the blaze before it collapsed. AFP Photo

Onlookers watch fire crews tackle the burning tower. Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA

Plasco building was the first high-rise and shopping centre in Tehran and was the city’s tallest building when it was finished in 1962, until it was dwarfed by the construction boom of later years. Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA

The building came down in a matter of seconds, shown live on state television, which had begun an interview with a journalist at the scene. Vahid Salemi / AP Photo

An Iranian fireman, bottom left, works to extinguish the blaze. Vahid Salemi / AP Photo

The fire rages inside the Tehran high-rise. Tasnim News Agency / handout via Reuters

The collapsed building in Tehran. Tasnim News Agency / Handout via Reuters

Rescue workers gather in front of the collapsed iconic Plasco building. Abedin Taherkenareh

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