Overview
- Rescue teams found two bodies on Saturday among six people reported missing after a powerful gas explosion toppled part of a residential building in Plaka at the foot of the Acropolis.
- More than 30 firefighters, three search dogs and specialized equipment are working through rubble to locate the four people who remain unaccounted for.
- Officials have confirmed the missing include two American couples in their mid-30s to 40s who had rented an apartment in the building and an elderly resident couple also lived there.
- The blast’s shockwave caused serious damage to adjacent buildings, shops and vehicles across the tourist-heavy Plaka neighborhood.
- Athens officials say the blast could stem from a large natural gas leak on the building’s second floor and investigators and inspectors are examining gas lines and nearby structures for safety risks.