Thick plumes of smoke billowed over northern Tehran on Monday as a building adjacent to the capital's Hotel Esteghlal caught fire, witnessed by AFP journalists. The towering hotel, formerly known as the Royal Hilton, was enveloped in black and white columns of smoke while flames from the nearby structure were visible from surrounding rooftops.
Guests inside the hotel were being evacuated to ensure their safety, according to a state television correspondent at the scene. There were no immediate reports of casualties, and the type of building where the fire started remains unclear.
Footage on state television showed firetrucks arriving at the site as onlookers watched efforts to bring the fire under control. Fires are common in Iran, particularly during the hotter months, often occurring in older buildings due to technical failures.
State news agency IRNA reports that Hotel Esteghlal, built in the 1960s, was formerly the Royal Hilton. The hotel's age and the frequency of fires in Iran underscore the ongoing challenges in maintaining older infrastructure.
Emergency services are currently on site working to contain the fire and assess the damage. The incident serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of older buildings to such incidents, particularly in the summer months.
