Plasco Incident; Recovery of Two Firefighters' Bodies on the Morning of the Eighth Day

On Thursday morning, operational forces active in the ruins of the Plasco building discovered the bodies of two deceased firefighters. They also managed to recover one of the victims who had been found but remained trapped under the rubble. So far, the bodies of 12 firefighters and 4 other citizens have been retrieved from the debris. According to ISNA news agency, the search for the bodies of three more firefighters is still ongoing. The spokesperson for the Fire Department reported on February 26 that operational and rescue forces had penetrated to the basement level of the building. The body of the fourth non-firefighter citizen was found a few days ago in the same level, but the recovery was halted due to concerns about the collapse of the rubble. Rescuers ultimately succeeded in retrieving this citizen's body from the debris on the morning of February 26. Currently, the official death toll stands at 13 firefighters and 4 other citizens. Among the 13 firefighters, one person died in the hospital. Reports indicate that in the second week of rescue and debris removal operations from Plasco, a large portion of the rubble and debris has been cleared from the site. The deputy of urban services of Tehran Municipality told ISNA that 18,000 tons of debris have been removed, and nearly 15% of the rubble still remains. Jalal Maleki, the spokesperson for the Fire Department, stated that search efforts are currently focused on the basement level and the northern and northwestern sections. Mr. Maleki expressed hope that the debris removal operations would conclude on Thursday. The search for the victims of Plasco continues as the Iranian Minister of Interior has cited 'electrical connection' as the primary cause of the incident, and the Tehran Prosecutor's Office has warned that officials and authorities of the Islamic Republic should refrain from politicizing this event. In this regard, the head of Tehran's Fire Department stated: 'We have become victims.' The Attorney General stated: 'Officials should not politicize the Plasco incident.' The ashes of an economic giant continue as debris removal operations at the Plasco building continue; the death toll has reached 15. A week after the destruction of Plasco, the culprit is still unknown.