Translated Content:
Audience 24-40 days have passed since the morning when the powerful missiles shook the Saadatabad Teachers' Complex and buried several lives in their hearts. Now, the building still breathes amidst the scaffolding and the tired voices of workers; but behind the collapsed walls, stories of suffering, waiting, and resistance lie hidden. The building's director and survivors speak of the fear of the moment of explosion, the difficulties of reconstruction, and the slowness of support; of the night when death reached the upper floors and changed the life of a country forever. The Sarv Teachers' Complex was the first residential area to be targeted by the missile attacks on the morning of Friday, June 13, killing 16 people. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Ms. Qaraviri, Mohammad Biglari, Fariba Keyvani, Behnam Ghasemian, Zohreh Rasouli, Rayan Ghasemian, Ehsan Eshraqi, Baran Eshraqi, Zahra Shamsbakhsh, Ali Akbar Emami, Hanieh Naderi, and 4 other unidentified people were among the victims of this missile barrage. Tomorrow, August 23, will be the 40th of them and many others who lost their lives in the Israeli missile barrage and were named martyrs. It has been past 12 noon, and the incessant sound of workers replacing windows and pulling down scaffolding still breaks the silence of the building. 40 days have passed, but the Saadatabad Teachers' Building still stands under the shadow of a night that was shaken by one of the heaviest Israeli missile attacks. Before the missiles, the Teachers' Building in Saadatabad was not just a four-walled building in Saadatabad; life was going on in it; The lives of people, most of whom came from the heart of the university, but all of them, before any title or job, were souls, they were human beings. Amir Qari, the building manager, has seen and heard these days with his own eyes, more than he could have imagined. He is tired, but he has a happy face. A few phone calls, a few executive orders to coordinate the building's work, and then the field speaks. From the day the building's silence was broken. The Sarv Professors' Complex building in Saadatabad, according to what "Amir Qari" says, was a complex specifically for the country's academic class: "All those who lived in this complex were university professors. If there was a case outside this group, it was definitely a person with a higher education and a confirmed degree. Admission to this building had special conditions and we would interview each applicant." He explains that the process of living in this complex was not accidental or based solely on relationships. If someone was applying for housing, they had to be introduced and approved by a resident: “For example, if someone wanted to buy an apartment for their wife’s sister, we had to get confirmation from that person that this new neighbor was approved in terms of personality, finances, timely payment of the charge, and lifestyle. After that, the contract would be signed.” Among the residents were well-known figures such as Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, the president of Azad University; the same person who was the main target of the attack on this building. He was martyred in the same missile barrage. The Professors’ Complex in Saadat Abad consists of four residential blocks, A, B, C, and D, and a total of about 400 families live in it. Each tower has about 96 units, mostly belonging to faculty members of different universities. According to Qari, during the incident, floors eight to three of the total 96 residential units were completely destroyed. The intensity of the explosion was such that some units practically no longer exist. However, part of the building, known as Tower C 1, has largely returned to normal after round-the-clock efforts and follow-ups by the Ministry of Science and relevant institutions. Reconstruction of one of the towers Qari talks about the reconstruction process of Building C 1; a building that, according to him, has now returned to almost normal conditions: “The main infrastructure, including gas, electricity, elevators and cooling systems, have been fully restored and more than 95 percent of the residents have returned to their units.” He continues: “Our first step was to connect the gas and start the chillers; because we knew that without it, it would not be possible to return and resettle.” Referring to the speed of the reconstruction of Tower C 1, he says: “Tower C 1 has been restored in all respects; problems such as broken glass, curtains, frames, plastering and painting have been done. "Approximately 95 percent of the residents have returned to their units. The first step we took, with the help of the Ministry of Science and some universities, was to connect the gas and start the cooling system. The chillers started working, the elevators were reactivated, and full electricity was restored to the floors. The cooking gas is also being tested and will be ready for use by Thursday." While the renovation work in Tower C 1 is almost complete, Tower C 2 is still in the early stages of renovation. According to Qari, the process of securing, piling, and initial measures has begun since Wednesday of last week, with the introduction of the contractor by the municipality. Based on technical assessments, the first to eighth floors of the tower must be completely evacuated; because despite the healthy appearance of the building, engineering studies show that the main facilities, including the electrical, gas, water systems, and structural structure, must be carefully inspected and renovated. Qari emphasizes: "We don't want any problems for the residents later." Accommodation in a hotel and payment of deposits to owners Currently, a significant portion of residents have not yet fully moved out. He says that about 30 to 40 percent of the belongings have been moved from the units and that families have been provided with space in the building’s parking lot to facilitate the move. The municipality has also provided facilities, including accommodation for tenants in hotels and payment of a deposit of 1.5 billion tomans to the owners, along with a monthly rent of 30 million tomans. The payment process has begun and some residents have received initial checks. However, the speed of finding new accommodation will determine the continuation of the reconstruction process, as the conclusion of new contracts with the owners is subject to the complete evacuation of the units, and any delay could halt the project. According to Qari, the reconstruction operation will be completed by the end of the year. Life amidst reconstruction and the hope of the financial assistance that was supposed to be given to the families was about 250 million tomans. It is not a high figure, but many of the affected people still have not been able to receive it. Amir Qari says more precisely: “We have 96 units that are severely damaged from the ninth to the third floor. The fourth floor has an area of approximately 135 meters and the units are classified as; 114 meters, 135 meters and 144 meters. When the news of the gas explosion came, I could not believe that such a thing would happen.” Recently, however, the process of removing debris has begun; “Specialized teams have come since last Wednesday and have equipped their workshops. We must accompany them and evacuate the units so that they can continue their work.” A story from the 11-year rain; one of the victims of “Cervu” Amir Qari, the building manager, in describing the future vision of “Teaching Tower”, emphasizes the need for careful selection of residents and says: “From now on, every person who applies to live in the building must be examined before entering; Whether he is a nationally known person or has held an important position in the past, he will undoubtedly be affected.” Amir Qari, pausing for a moment, speaks of the pain that has settled in his soul: “Many are sad; loved ones who were innocent and lost their families in these bitter events.” His voice is calm but painful when he remembers a girl named “Baran Ishraqi.” An 11-year-old girl who was the victim of one of the most horrific scenes of this incident: “Baran was a very good girl. She always wore pink clothes. I had named her Pink. It was as if she was my granddaughter. Baran had been thrown down from above. Her father also died under the rubble. It was a very strange scene.” It seems that even in the heart of destruction, there is still a place to live and continue. Life under the rubble; A narrative of the night of the attack In the middle of that endless night and the broken silence, a terrifying explosion suddenly changed the lives of the residents of the Professors’ Tower. Alireza Rahmanian, one of the residents of the tower, begins his narrative as follows: “I was a resident of Tower C 2; our unit was on the seventh floor and we had been living there for about six months.” It was 3:27 a.m. when a terrifying explosion shattered the silence of the tower: “The sound was like a thousand tons of iron falling, a huge explosion that lasted only a fraction of a second.” At the moment of impact, the glass of the balconies shattered and the wall of the room opposite cracked. Most of the residents, including Rahmanian, were faced with a dark space filled with thick smoke: “My daughter woke up; I called three times to find her. Then, without shoes and relying on the light of my mobile phone, we made our way to the hallway. Rahmanian, along with his wife and 14-year-old daughter, tried to help their neighbors: “That’s when we realized it was a missile attack; No earthquake. We were very close; we were one floor away from the explosion.” Only 6 months into our stay, the building’s staircase was full of glass, concrete, and rubble, but they found their way out: “I slipped on the stairs on the fifth floor, and I lit my mobile phone to light the way for my daughter and my wife. Finally, we reached the fourth floor, and after walking along the path, we encountered an ambulance in front of the tower. Another person who had been burned on the third floor was taken to the hospital with us.” After the accident, visiting hospitals was difficult. Rahmanian says: “Motahhari Hospital did not have the slightest facilities; there was no gas or dressings. We had to wait a long time for insurance and... and we were not feeling well.” Finally, they were transferred to Khatam Hospital after a delay. The house they had bought only six months ago and had been completely renovated for two weeks had completely collapsed under the rubble: “All the furniture in the house was gone. The buildings next to Towers One through Eight have also suffered serious damage. Doors and windows, everything that looked solid, have been torn out. The window in the room was torn out, the wall in my daughter’s room was cracked. Anisa was sleeping next to that window. I can only say it was a miracle that my daughter is still with us.” He also mentions Baran Eshraghi; the “pink” girl who was dear to many of the tower’s residents; “We saw her every day. We also knew the Eshraghi family; a noble and honorable family. Baran's mother is also a very calm and understanding person. One of those mothers who, when she was in the compound, made others feel at ease about their children." But the pain is not limited to losing neighbors; the psychological atmosphere after the incident still casts a shadow over the Rahmanian family: "Anisa has not yet returned to the bombed house. Even when I go to the building, she asks me to bring things from her closet or table. It was only a few days ago that we found out that the wall of her room had been split on all four sides; cracks 20 to 25 centimeters wide." I don't know how we survived. Currently, the Rahmanian family is living in the Pasargad Bank guesthouse. According to him, some other neighbors have settled in the Laleh Hotel and other temporary accommodation centers. Universities and the municipality have also cooperated with temporary housing: "We tried to temporarily rebuild our lives with quick treatment and a little equipment. Believe me, I am not worried about the house; even though we had painstakingly rebuilt it. What bothers me most is the absence of neighbors.” He says that the municipality paid them 1.8 billion tomans as a deposit, with a monthly rent of 30 million tomans: “They took a notarized commitment from us and gave us the check yesterday. The same process went through for about 20 or 30 other people.” However, he also points out that the financial support for purchasing necessities is very low: “250 million tomans to buy 17 items is very low for someone who has lost all their necessities.” For this reason, he also complains about the lack of legal approval for the aid: “The municipality says we do not have an approval for this aid. This 250 million tomans is apparently being given without an approval. They gave us forms to record the damage, send photos, and send documents. But how can you take a photo of something buried in the rubble?” Rahmanian says they have not yet made a definitive decision about returning to the tower. Although the municipality has included a 13-month period in the contract for the completion of the retrofitting and reconstruction and has announced that this time will be extended in case of delay, the issue for him and his family is more than time: “I think a deal was made between us and God. We lost money, but our lives were saved. Even now, I can’t believe how we survived. Life goes on, but not like before. We humans have to get used to it, even to losing.” About a hundred bags of rubble were removed from inside their house, just to clear the way, just to be able to enter the house and take out the few remaining belongings: “We finally got a whole bunch of things out of there. 70 percent of our belongings were gone.” The issue is not just the condition of the building: “We don’t want my daughter to see the destroyed building right now. Of course, we showed him the film of the damage, but the film does not convey the depth of the disaster. For example, the floor of the hall was swollen and raised, or the wall shared with the house was covered in rain. That house is no longer a home. I always thought that any kind of death could happen to me, except for a missile hitting me underfoot.” Post-incident Robberies Rahmanian continues to talk about the robberies that occurred after the incident from the residents’ homes: “Unfortunately, almost all the units were robbed. They took gold and some belongings from our house. The picture frame was broken and taken. The destroyed floors were also full of valuable belongings. Even the gold that I had ordered for my wife’s birthday and had just arrived has disappeared. There is a box, there is an invoice, but it is not gold. We informed them, but they have not yet taken action.” While 40 days have passed since the missile attack on the Teachers Tower in Saadatabad, Tehran, many residents of this building are still facing difficult conditions. Mohsen Fani Yazdi, a resident of the tower whose residential unit was completely destroyed, spoke to Shargh about the current situation of the residents, the slow reconstruction process, and the complaints about the insurance company's performance. Referring to the deep psychological damage that has been inflicted on the families, he explained: "We have been seriously damaged mentally and emotionally. There are 96 units here, and of these, 48 units have been completely evacuated, because the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors have practically collapsed. My unit is also part of the completely destroyed section; it is not habitable, and no one is allowed to enter." According to him, many of the remaining units have also suffered serious damage: "The doors, windows, and glass of 24 other units were destroyed, the plaster had fallen off, and they were not habitable. The municipality worked hard and introduced two contractors. The shutters, doors, and windows have been largely completed, and some of the residents of these units have returned temporarily. Another 24 units have suffered less damage. I myself returned and settled in after 15 days, but the cooling and heating were not working. Now it has been restored, but there are still problems.” One of the main problems of the residents after the accident is the frequent power outages: “Before the accident, our power did not go out for several years. Now the power goes out for two to three hours a day. In these conditions, it is not possible to cook, nor do electrical appliances work. There are four people in the house, but life has been paralyzed. Yesterday, the power was supposed to go out for two hours, but it went out for three hours. We went to the electricity company, wrote a letter, but to no avail. Everything is disrupted.” They will not give a refrigerator for 20 million tomans Fani says that the municipality has not yet started the main reconstruction: “The contractor has been identified, but they have not started yet. They have promised to start on Saturday and said that the work will take six months, but I do not think it will be completed in six months. There is a lot of work.” But his main complaint is the lack of temporary housing and the insurance situation: “We were not provided with any temporary housing. A tent was set up for a while, a psychologist came, they collected information, but practically nothing was done. They left and that was it.” According to him, all the units have been insured since 2010: “We insured each unit for two billion tomans based on the furniture inside. The building itself, the cars, everything was covered by Iran Insurance. Now, out of the 48 units that have been completely destroyed, at least four units have burned down completely and nothing remains of them. However, Iran Insurance has not taken any action or given a clear answer. With great difficulty, we were only able to bring a representative from one of the insurance companies to visit. Senior managers were not even willing to visit.” He adds: “The municipality said it might help up to 20 million tomans, but there has been no news yet. Even if it does, this amount is only the cost of a refrigerator. This is despite the fact that we had insured everything.” Pointing to one of the martyrs of the tower, Fani explains: “One of our martyrs was ‘Zahra’, the daughter of Dr. Shamsbakhsh. Her body was torn to pieces by the blast wave, or perhaps a direct hit. Her body was found on the ground in front of the building. She was 33 years old. Dr. Shamsbakhsh was the deputy head of one of the ministries, and her unit was right next to Dr. Tehranchi’s unit.” He then provides a picture of the composition of the tower’s units: “There were four units on each floor. On the floor where this happened, Dr. Tehranchi lived in one unit. Across from his unit lived an old man who miraculously survived this tragic incident. The unit next door was also damaged to the same extent.” He then pauses for a moment and says: “This is also part of our situation. A bitter reality that is still hard to believe.”