The fire broke out shortly after the midnight, when a former worker of the tea house poured gasoline on it and set the shop on fire in retaliation for his dismissal, according to eyewitnesses.
Mojtaba Khaledi, Iran’s emergency services spokesperson, said the fire killed 11 and injured 6, the Persian-language ISNA reported.
The injured included three firemen, head of Ahvaz Fire Department Atashpad Torabpour said.
Colonel Ali Qassempour, an Ahvaz police commander, said “personal disagreements” were behind the incident.
Qassempour said the incident was under investigation and several suspects were arrested by the police forces by Tuesday morning.
