TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- A building collapsed Monday in the Iranian capital, killing 19 laborers living inside it, the Iranian state television and radio said.
At least 19 people are said to have been killed in the collapse.
The collapse took place in the morning hours in the Sa'adatabad district in northern Tehran, the state TV quoted prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi as saying. The building was quickly reduced to rubble, the report said.
It added that the structure has for a month been on the verge of collapsing but the occupants refused to take municipality warnings to evacuate seriously.
The fate of another man, also a laborer living in the building, was not known. It wasn't clear if he was inside at the time of the collapse. Rescue workers were searching for survivors. Watch rescuers search wreckage »
Mortazavi added that authorities promptly detained five people, including the building owner and contractors, and have warned that "serious punishment" is in store for those responsible for the "disastrous" incident.
Buildings in Tehran do not commonly collapse but old structures which the Iranian capital is known for are poorly built.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
A building in Iran's capital Tehran collapsed today and killed at least 19 people. The fate of a twentieth person is unknown.

The victims were all labourers living inside the building, which is reported to have been in a seriously unstable condition for a month, with occupants refusing to comply with evacuation requests. The early morning disaster in the Sa'adatabad district reduced the building to rubble in seconds.

The seven story building was described by The Canadian Press as 'dilapidated'.

Five people have been arrested, including the owner and contractors. Iranian state media promised that those responsible would be dealt with severely.