Iranian authorities have shut down the internet in Khuzestan province as anger and sadness continue in the country, with angry demonstrations erupting after an apartment building collapsed that killed at least 34 people, the Associated Press reported. The riots have left the southwestern province on a digital lockdown, making it difficult for journalists to follow current events on the ground and activists unable to share video footage or organize protests.

The agency quoted Amir Rashidi, a researcher at the Mian Group, which focuses on digital security in the Middle East, as saying that “the internet blockage from the oil-rich province of Khuzestan began in early May, weeks before the fatal crash.” According to the Mian Group, the province was a hotbed of protests against the deteriorating economy and soaring prices for basic foodstuffs, which intensified after the collapse of the tower last week.The disaster sparked outrage in the city of Abadan, where the townspeople gathered at the site of the collapse at night to chant anti-Iranian slogans, which they accused of negligence government.