A massive fire engulfed a drug rehabilitation center in northern Iran on November 3, resulting in the loss of 32 lives and injuries to 16 individuals, according to local media reports.
The fire broke out in Langarud, a city in Iran’s northern Gilan province, at a drug rehabilitation center. Deputy Governor Mohammad Jalai of Gilan province confirmed the death toll, with an additional 16 individuals wounded, four of them in critical condition. The fire ignited during the night when a heater caught fire, subsequently setting curtains ablaze.
Jalai attributed the high number of casualties to overcrowding at the rehabilitation center, where the individuals being treated had limited space to move freely. Earlier reports from the judiciary’s Mizan Online news website indicated 27 deaths and 12 injuries, highlighting that the center had a capacity of only 40 people.
Gilan province’s Chief Justice Esmail Sadeghi issued a statement announcing the arrest of the center’s manager and other potential suspects.
Footage of the incident showed massive flames billowing out of the rehab center, sending plumes of smoke into the air. The fire consumed the building, destroyed its roof, and shattered all the windows, leaving the center’s walls charred.
Iran has grappled with drug abuse as a persistent issue, and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has reported that it has one of the most severe addiction problems globally. According to UNODC figures from 2021, 2.8 million people in Iran were dealing with substance abuse issues.
The Iranian authorities have launched multiple campaigns to combat the drug problem in the country in the past, but the issue remains prevalent.
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