Overview
- A powerful blast struck the Plaka neighborhood beneath the Acropolis on Friday morning and caused a residential building to partially or fully collapse, shattering windows and damaging cars on nearby streets.
- Police say six people are missing, including several tourists, while rescuers have pulled some neighbors to safety and taken a handful of people to hospital with light injuries.
- Emergency teams are using search dogs, thermal cameras and heavy machinery to comb the rubble, and rescuers have reported further partial collapses that keep the scene hazardous.
- Initial inquiries point to a likely gas leak as the trigger and the gas network operator is working with municipal inspectors to probe the cause and check gas lines in the area.
- The accident raises safety and tourism concerns for the densely visited historic quarter; the city has cordoned off the site and municipal planners will clear adjacent buildings before reopening streets.