<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Iran has issued indictments against 20 people after the deadly collapse of a building that triggered widespread anti-corruption protests, the judiciary said today.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The 10-storey Metropol building that was under construction in the city of Abadan in southwestern Khuzestan province collapsed on May 23, leading to death of 43 people.</div><div><br></div><div>It took emergency services almost two weeks to recover the bodies of those killed in the disaster, one of Iran’s deadliest in years.</div><div><br></div><div>The tragedy sparked a series of demonstrations across the country against authorities accused of corruption and incompetence.</div><div><br></div><div>At the time, the provincial judiciary said it had arrested 13 people, including Abadan’s mayor and two former mayors in connection with the case.</div><div><br></div><div>“Considering the importance of the matter … the case has been carefully evaluated and indictments have been issued against 20 people,” said the judiciary’s Mizan Online website.</div><div><br></div><div>“All the defendants in this case are currently in custody with applicable warrants,” it said, without identifying them or specifying what charges they faced.</div><div>Iranian media outlets had earlier reported that he was among those who died in the disaster. Source: AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>