Two young boys were discovered hugging amid the rubble after they were killed in a building collapse.

The bodies of two brothers clutching each other have been recovered from the wreckage of an Iranian building collapse that has claimed the lives of 37 people.

The search for bodies in the ruins of the Metropol building, which collapsed on May 23 in Abadan, south-west Iran, is continuing.

Authorities expect to find more bodies since the 10-story business and the residential building fell, with the total number of people killed so far standing at 37, with over 40 people injured.

According to local accounts, a search crew discovered four victims from the same family in the basement of the fallen Metropol building.

Brothers Erfan and Arian Jalilian were discovered embracing each other, while their father Fawzi Jalilian's body, as well as his nephew Hamid Reza Jalilian's, was discovered in the wreckage.

As the rescue attempt continues, outraged demonstrators have taken to the streets in many Iranian cities, accusing the government of carelessness and endemic corruption in the aftermath of the building collapse.

Authorities have arrested at least 13 people so far, blaming the building collapse on individual irresponsibility and bad safety measures.

Several locations, including Tehran and the port city of Bushehr, heard cries of "death to Khamenei," referring to the Islamic Republic's supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In the country, the anti-Khamenei language is regarded as a no-no.

Another video, which has yet to be authenticated, shows riot police riding motorcycles in the same area, ostensibly to disturb or intimidate demonstrators.

Protesters in Bushehr, Iran's southern port city, have been heard yelling "Death to the dictator," a reference to Khamenei.

They yell, "They're lying that it's America; our enemy is right here." During anti-government protests in Iran, this is a typical phrase.

Protest videos from other Iranian cities have also been shared on social media.

During the week-long protests, Iranian police sprayed tear gas and fired rounds into the air to disperse crowds and battled with activists.

Official Iranian media have primarily shown religious sadness and funeral processions in their coverage of the incident. Abadan's governor, speaking on state television, urged citizens to only follow official media and avoid "rumors" on social media.

Iranians are already dissatisfied with rising food prices and economic difficulties at a time when efforts to resurrect a 2015 nuclear deal with foreign powers and, with it, sanctions relief have stalled.