Six Bodies Recovered After Violent Blast Collapses Building in Historic Athens District
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Six Bodies Recovered After Violent Blast Collapses Building in Historic Athens District
Emergency rescue teams in Greece have retrieved the final two bodies from the rubble of a collapsed residential building in Athens’ historic Plaka district, bringing the total death toll from Friday's blast to six.
The explosion occurred shortly after 7:30 AM on Friday, September 25, on Lysikratous Street, severely damaging nearby properties and vehicles parked in the tourist area near the Acropolis. Emergency responders conducted a continuous 24-hour operation using specialized geophones, thermal search cameras, and rescue dogs to locate victims trapped beneath tons of debris.
Victims Identified as Foreign Tourists and Elderly Residents
Authorities confirmed that the fatalities include four American tourists staying in a short-term rental flat on the first floor and an elderly resident couple.
Police and emergency services reported the following breakdown regarding the victims:
- Four American Tourists: Two visiting couples who had rented an apartment in the structure for their trip.
- Elderly Resident Couple: A 77-year-old British man and his 78-year-old Greek wife who resided permanently in the building.
The search phase concluded on Saturday afternoon after crews from Greece's Disaster Response Special Unit (EMAK) located the remaining two victims under the structural wreckage.
Gas Leak Suspected as Investigation Opens
Preliminary findings by emergency authorities point toward a severe natural gas leak as the primary cause of the sudden detonation, though officials caution that the technical inquiry remains ongoing.
The Fire Service deployed 30 firefighters, six specialized emergency vehicles, and heavy machinery provided by the City of Athens to clear structural debris. Investigators from the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes remain at the Lysikratous Street site to determine the precise trigger and assess structural integrity across neighbouring properties.
