Brother Of Collapsed Building’s Owner Shot Dead In Iran
The brother of Hossein Abdolbaghi, whose poorly-constructed building recently collapsed in southern Iran and killed dozens of people, was shot dead by unknown assailants Saturday.
The brother of Hossein Abdolbaghi, whose poorly-constructed building recently collapsed in southern Iran and killed dozens of people, was shot dead by unknown assailants Saturday.
A video from a CCTV camera was released on media showing a car, which apparently was following Majid Abdolbaghi’s vehicle as it went into the parking lot, stopped in front of a building, as one man started shooting with a handgun from the front seat and another one got out of the car and started shooting from behind the car. According to reports Abdolbaghi succumbed to injuries after he was taken to hospital.
The Metropol twin towers collapsed on May 23 burying more than 80 people under the rubble, with about 42 bodies recovered. Soon after the collapse it became apparent that the owner and builder, Hossein Abdolbaghi, was a powerful and politically well-connected businessman who had disregarded regulations and building codes, backed by officials, who might have had their own financial interests.
Following the incident, Iranian media initially reported that Abdolbaghi, who was reportedly connected to Iran’s top security official Ali Shamkhani, had been arrested, but the government later announced that he had died in the collapse. The public did not believe the claim and many said that he escaped and corrupt officials, who had allowed him to violate building regulations, wanted him to disappear.
In June, reports came out that a physician who refused to cooperate in the alleged coverup had died mysteriously.
Earlier in the week, Iran’s prosecutor general issued an indictment against 20 people accused in the case of the Metropol incident.
