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ATHENS, Greece,— A powerful explosion has devastated a residential building in Athens’ historic Plaka tourist district, just below the Acropolis, killing visitors and leaving others missing as Greek rescue teams continue searching through the rubble.
The explosion occurred at approximately 7:35 a.m. Friday, September 25, on Lysikratous Street, close to the Acropolis, Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The blast destroyed the building, damaged neighboring homes, businesses and vehicles, and scattered debris and shattered glass across surrounding streets.
Tourists caught in the disaster
The building contained a short-term tourist rental as well as the home of an elderly couple.
Four tourists — described by Reuters as two American couples— were believed to have been staying in the rental. They were scheduled to check out and catch a 3 p.m. flight from Athens on Friday but never arrived at the airport, according to a police source.
CBS News, citing AFP and Greek rescue officials, reported Saturday that an American man and woman had died, while four other people remained missing at that stage of the rescue operation.
The casualty count is changing quickly as rescuers penetrate deeper into the collapsed structure. Greek newspaper Kathimerini subsequently reported that four bodies had been recovered, making earlier reports of six people missing outdated.
Terror attack or accident?
There is currently no reported evidence establishing this as a terrorist attack, and authorities have not identified any organization or individual as being behind the explosion.
Instead, investigators are focusing on a possible natural-gas leak or gas-infrastructure failure.
Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said the explosion appeared likely to be connected with gas infrastructure, although the official investigation has not yet determined the cause. Reuters reported him saying that “something went terribly wrong.”
Enaon EDA, the natural-gas distribution operator, confirmed that emergency teams were sent to 15 Lysikratous Streetand said it was cooperating with authorities investigating the cause. The company has not announced a conclusion.
Explosion in the heart of tourist Athens
The location makes the incident particularly significant for Greece’s tourism industry. Plaka is one of the most heavily visited neighborhoods in Athens, packed with hotels, restaurants, shops and vacation rentals immediately below the Acropolis.
Three people were reported injured, while neighboring buildings were evacuated because of fears of additional structural collapse. Rescue crews, specialized disaster-response personnel and search dogs have been working through the wreckage.
For travelers in Athens, the disaster appears at this stage to be a localized building emergency rather than an attack directed at tourists or Athens tourism generally. The immediate area around the explosion remains subject to emergency operations and safety restrictions.
This is a developing story. Casualty figures and the cause of the explosion may change as Greek authorities release additional information.
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