Overview
- The explosion destroyed a two‑storey residential building in the Plaka neighbourhood near the Acropolis, sending rubble and broken glass up to three blocks away on Friday, Sept. 25.
- Rescuers recovered six bodies and have transitioned from searching for survivors to recovery and investigation, the Hellenic Fire Brigade said.
- Documents and belongings found with four victims suggested they were U.S. citizens, while local reports say the other two were an elderly British man and his Greek wife, and formal identification is under way.
- Athens mayor Haris Doukas and fire officials say a major gas leak or an internal gas‑network failure is the likely cause and the fire brigade’s crime investigation unit is probing the scene.
- Neighbouring buildings were damaged and evacuated for structural checks, crews used excavators, thermal cameras and sniffer dogs at the site, and residents had previously warned authorities about gas and electrical risks in the touristed Plaka district.