Six die in Athens building explosion near Acropolis

Six people died when an explosion destroyed a building housing a holiday rental in the historic centre of Athens, the BBC reported. Four were American tourists; the other two were a British national and a Greek national, reportedly an elderly couple who lived in the building.

The blast struck Friday in Plaka, a tourist district near the Acropolis. By Saturday afternoon, all six bodies had been recovered, according to the BBC. Earlier, CBS News reported that two American tourists had been confirmed dead and four people were missing, including an elderly British man and a Greek woman who shared an apartment.

Rescue workers searched the rubble on Saturday, using excavators and thermal-imaging cameras. Greece’s ANA news agency reported that about 30 rescuers and three sniffer dogs were working at the site, according to CBS News. The Americans had been staying in a tourist rental above street level, Greek rescue officials told journalists, CBS News reported. The tourists were confirmed missing after they failed to arrive for a flight from Athens later on Friday, the BBC reported, citing Reuters and local police.

A gas leak is the suspected cause of the explosion. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said the blast was likely caused by a leak, according to CBS News. “We are talking about an incredible disaster,” he said.

The force of the explosion brought down the building and damaged others nearby. Doukas said damage extended along the street and behind it. Two neighbouring buildings were left in a dangerous condition, he said, with inspections under way “to determine if they can remain standing or if they also have to be demolished”. The BBC reported that debris was scattered across the road and that local media said people were injured by material thrown into nearby streets. Some buildings needed to be evacuated, local media reported.

Accounts differed on the size of the destroyed building. CBS News described it as a small, two-storey structure, while the BBC called it a three-storey building.

A year before the explosion, Plaka residents warned the city and utility companies about the risk of gas leaks or short circuits, CBS News reported, citing a residents’ association letter published by the Greek newspaper Kathimerini. The residents also urged officials to hold a fire drill to identify potential weaknesses in emergency response plans for the district.

The explosion occurred on a small road between the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the BBC reported. The Acropolis drew 4.6 million visitors last year, according to CBS News.

A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are aware of a suspected explosion in Athens and are in touch with the local authorities.”