Explosion destroys building in Athens district of Plaka
A woman has died and rescuers are still searching for five missing people.
A building collapsed after an explosion in the historic Plaka district of Athens. A woman was pulled from the rubble and later died, while rescuers were still searching for five people on Saturday.
The explosion took place shortly after 7.30am on Friday on Lysikratous Street, at the foot of the Acropolis. A large part of the building then collapsed. The blast also damaged nearby buildings, parked cars and infrastructure in the busy district.
According to the Greek fire service, five people who may have been in the building are being sought. They are believed to be an elderly couple and three or four tourists staying in a short-term rental apartment. The authorities stress that it has not yet been established who was inside at the time of the explosion.
Around thirty firefighters, six vehicles and three rescue dogs have been deployed in the rescue operation. Thermal imaging cameras, sound detection equipment and heavy machinery are also being used. The machines are regularly stopped so that rescuers can listen for possible signals from the rubble.
A woman was pulled from the rubble overnight from Friday into Saturday and was later pronounced dead. Two women from an adjacent building and a passer-by were injured; they were taken to hospital. Their injuries were not described as life-threatening in the initial reports.
The cause has not yet been established. A gas leak is one of the scenarios being investigated, partly because local residents reportedly smelled gas before the explosion. Other possibilities also remain open until the fire service and technical experts can safely examine the remains.
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The key facts are confirmed by Greek news media and international reporting. The possible cause and the identities of the missing people have been carefully presented as uncertain.
- confirmed An explosion in Plaka caused a building to collapse. — Reported by eKathimerini, Neos Kosmos and Greek public broadcaster ERT. source
- confirmed A woman died and five people are missing. — The current situation was reported by Neos Kosmos and in.gr. source
- confirmed Around thirty firefighters and three rescue dogs are taking part in the search operation. — The figure was mentioned in Greek reports on the rescue operation. source
- confirmed A gas leak is a scenario being investigated, but the cause has not been established. — Sources cite gas as a possibility and report that the investigation is still under way. source
Editor's note
The death and five missing people have been reported by multiple Greek sources. The cause and the identities of the missing people have not yet been established.Sources
- Plaka-explosie: vrouw overleden, vijf vermisten — Neos Kosmos
- Vrouw uit puin gehaald na explosie in Plaka — in.gr
- Rescuers comb ruins of Plaka house for missing residents — eKathimerini
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „athene plaka”
- De Telegraaf — „athene plaka”
- AD — „athene plaka”