TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday commissioned a 10-member task force with probing into the collapse of the Plasco building, an iconic high-rise in downtown Tehran. 

Housing garment manufacturers and other businesses, the 15-story building caught fire on Jan. 19 and collapsed afterward, leaving at least 16 firefighters dead and some other citizens wounded. 

Built in the 1960s, the building was one of Tehran's oldest high-rises and a feature of the city's skyline. 

The investigation is expected to look into what caused the building’s blaze as well as its collapse, field management of the incident, coordination between responsible bodies and crisis management, preventive tips to learn from, and structural and managerial reforms.  

Ever since the incident, the inquisitive public opinion has been theorizing about possible main causes, fearing of future experiences. 

Particularly, they have been seeking answers to the following: failure to bring the blaze under control, the trapping of firefighters, equipment preparation, media coverage, public reaction management, etc.  

The government has also taken steps to identify similar buildings in Tehran, estimated to reach 3,000m, by one account, 

While causing nationwide mourning, so far no official has resigned. 

AK/PA