Unemployed Iranian Municipal Worker Resorts To Self-Immolation

A municipal worker in the religious city of Mashhad resorted to self-immolation within the premises of an administrative building after facing unemployment.

ILNA news agency has identified him as Haji Ghadir Arab Teimouri, a 42-year-old worker employed by Mashhad Municipality.

The incident unfolded on Thursday, when Arab Teimouri, with a commendable 19-year employment history in the regulatory affairs of the Parks Organization, committed an act of self-immolation.

According to ILNA, the worker found himself unemployed under circumstances described as "uncertain reasons," leading to his suspension.

As of the latest update, Arab Teimouri is undergoing treatment at a hospital, where he is reported to have sustained 35% burns. His condition is labeled as "dangerous" due to physical complications and underlying health issues.

This incident sheds light on a growing concern for workers' suicide. Notably, two contract workers of the Chovar Petrochemical Company in Ilam, resorted to self-immolation on December 21 following the announcement of a mass layoff of workers within the petrochemical plant.

The primary factors contributing to the alarming trend of worker suicides in Iran are reported to be challenging living conditions and the impact of widespread job layoffs. Within a span of less than two years, six workers within the Chovar Petrochemical Company alone have taken their own lives in response to the distressing circumstances of layoffs.