Four American tourists among 6 killed in suspected gas leak blast in Athens

Two women reportedly injured successful blast successful Athens’ historical Plaka district, buildings evacuated.

Rescue teams person recovered the bodies of six radical killed successful a gathering illness pursuing a a blast successful the historical centre of Athens, Greece, according to section authorities.

Documents and belongings recovered with 4 of the victims – 2 men and 2 women – connected Saturday indicated they were United States citizens, Greek authorities broadcaster ERT and different section media reported.

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The different 2 victims were reportedly an aged couple, a British antheral and a Greek woman, who lived connected the building’s 2nd floor.

Two women were injured successful an adjacent building, according to the occurrence department.

The blast that brought down the small, two-storey building in the fashionable tourer territory of Plaka connected Friday was believed to person been caused by a large state leak, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said. Neighbouring buildings were damaged and evacuated, helium said.

“The harm extends to the full thoroughfare arsenic good arsenic the thoroughfare down [the building],” Doukas said. “We are talking astir an unimaginable catastrophe.”

Two adjoining buildings severely damaged mightiness person to beryllium demolished, helium said.

The Greek regular paper Kathimerini reported connected Friday that the 4 tourists, who were owed to permission their accommodation astatine astir 11:00am (08:00 GMT), failed to committee their formation backmost to the US.

Rescuers enactment astatine the country connected September 26, 2026, 1 time aft a almighty blast deed Athens’ Plaka territory [Yorgos Karahalis/AP]

Plaka residents issued warning

A radical of Plaka residents had alerted the municipality and the managers of the energy and state networks astir the risks of abbreviated circuits oregon state leaks successful the country a twelvemonth ago.

In a missive published by Kathimerini, the radical called for the organisation of a information workout to place immoderate imaginable shortcomings successful the exigency effect system.

The national question “We Remain Active” besides stated connected societal media that a nonmigratory of the thoroughfare wherever the detonation occurred had reported a odor of state for respective weeks and had warned the authorities.

A Greek constabulary spokeswoman confirmed connected ERT that residents had made the report. However, the quality of the substance and its root person not yet been determined.

Plaka lies astatine the ft of the Acropolis, Greece’s astir visited past monument.