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Death toll in Tehran building collapse rises to 11


    TEHRAN (Reuters) - The death toll in a building collapse in Tehran has risen to 11 people, Iran's ISNA news agency said on Tuesday, a day after the capital's fire department said three bodies had been pulled out of the rubble.

    Three people involved in the construction of theseven-storey residential building, which collapsed on Mondaymorning have been detained, the Resalat newspaper reported.

    Officials were not immediately available for comment on thereports.

    Tehran prosecutor-general Saeed Mortazavi said on Mondaythat around 20 construction workers were in the building whenit collapsed, suggesting the death toll could rise.

    He said the owners had been told to tear the building downafter it started to collapse about a month ago and that theworkers had been trying to salvage window frames and equipment.

    A Reuters witness said the building had collapsed into aheap of rubble. Rescue workers were trying to shift the debriswhile sniffer dogs searched for victims and survivors.

    Tehran, a sprawling city of 12 million people, has seen aboom in construction in recent years, with builders rushing tokeep up with demand in the world's fourth-largest oil producer.

    (Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Writing by Fredrik Dahl;Editing by Giles Elgood)