Explosion and Collapse in Athens' Plaka Kills Six

Overview

• A blast that struck the Plaka neighborhood near the Acropolis on Friday caused a two-storey short-term rental to collapse and set off an overnight search-and-rescue operation.
• Emergency teams recovered six bodies from the rubble, and Greek public broadcaster ERT reported the dead included four American tourists and an elderly British-Greek couple.
• About 30 responders used sniffer dogs, excavators and thermal cameras to search the site and they also rescued several injured or unconscious people from surrounding buildings.
• Athens officials and the fire service say a gas leak is the leading theory and investigators from the fire brigade’s criminal unit are examining the property’s gas connections and piping.
• City authorities have inspected adjacent structures for structural risk and may order demolitions, a move that could deepen scrutiny of short-term rental safety in the heavily touristed historic center.