Only 30% of lodging units in Mashhad are certified by the city’s Firefighting and Safety Services Organization, according to the organization’s chief, Hassan Jafari.
“Many certified hotels have outdated systems,” Jafari said, adding that despite having a functional fire safety system, anything could go wrong in the event of a fire, Mehr News Agency reported.
“Therefore, regular checkups are required.”
He said his organization does not have the power to force lodging facilities to apply for a certificate.
“We can only issue warnings, which are generally ignored,” he said.
If insurance providers start making fire safety certification a requirement for lodging facilities, managers of such establishments will begin to take the matter seriously.
Jafari said his organization can issue warnings to hotels, hotel apartments and hostels. Eco-lodges, which are managed by Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organizations, do not fall in the fire department’s jurisdiction.
Located in Khorasan Razavi Province, Mashhad hosts a third of all inbound tourists, mostly pilgrims who seek to visit the shrine of one of the most prominent figures of Islam, Imam Reza (PBUH).
A number of lodging facilities caught fire in Mashhad last year, endangering lives and tarnishing the city’s image as a tourist hotspot.
