The mission to put out the fire that engulfed the iconic Plasco building in central ended in the sudden collapse of the 17-story structure and the deaths of more than 20 firefighters. The towering inferno of death and destruction shocked and saddened and exiles around the world. Watching the scene unfold on television last Thursday made my heart sink. For along with the tragic loss of life, a part of Iran’s history was lost, and so was a part of my very own history. The Plasco was built by my grandfather, Habib Elghanian, and his brothers to become, upon completion in 1962, first high-rise on the capital’s skyline. The brothers named the building after their pioneering plastics manufacturing company, PlascoKar.
