A fire broke out in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on Monday, prompting the evacuation of a nearby five-star hotel as thick smoke billowed over the area. <\/p>\n
Columns of black and white smoke engulfed the towering hotel, AFP journalists saw, while flames in a nearby building were visible from surrounding rooftops, News.Az<\/a> reports, citing Asharq Al-Awsat.<\/a><\/p>\n According to a state television correspondent at the site, “guests inside the hotel were being evacuated to ensure their safety”.<\/p>\n Tehran fire department spokesman Jalal Maleki said the blaze broke out in a storage area used by the hotel for food supplies, bedding and other flammable items, according to state news agency IRNA.<\/p>\n The fire “has so far caused no injuries”, Maleki said, adding that it was “under control and… the cause of the incident will be announced after expert investigations”.<\/p>\n Footage on state television showed fire trucks on site, as onlookers watched efforts to bring the fire under control.<\/p>\n Fires are common in Iran, especially during the hotter months, and mostly erupt in older buildings due to technical failures.<\/p>\n According to state news agency IRNA, the hotel, formerly the Royal Hilton, was built in the 1960s.<\/p>\n