What happened
An explosion occurred in a building in the Plaka tourist district of Athens, Greece, resulting in the deaths of six people, including four American tourists. The blast, which was likely caused by a gas leak, brought down the residential building and damaged nearby properties and vehicles.
The American family of four had been renting an apartment on the first floor of the building and were preparing to leave for the airport to return to the United States when the explosion happened. The other two victims were an elderly British man and his Greek wife, who lived on the second floor of the building.
Two women were injured in an adjacent building, and nearby buildings were left in a dangerous state, with inspections underway to determine if they can remain standing. The owner of the ground-floor apartment was absent at the time of the blast and had tried to contact the British-Greek couple who lived there, but was unsuccessful.
The explosion has been described as an 'incredible disaster' by the Athens Mayor, with rubble strewn across the street and parked cars smashed by falling debris. The neighborhood, which is one of Athens' most popular tourist areas, is home to the nearby Acropolis, a major landmark that welcomed 4.6 million visitors last year.
Locals had previously warned the city and utility companies about the risk of gas leaks or short circuits in the area, and a citizens' group reported that a resident had alerted authorities to a possible gas leak before the explosion.
