A blast collapsed a residential building in Athens’s Plaka district at dawn Friday, killing six, officials said Saturday. The dead included four American tourists and an elderly British man and his Greek wife; Mayor Haris Doukas said a gas leak likely caused the blast.
The blast also damaged nearby properties and vehicles. Mayor Doukas said two neighboring buildings were in a dangerous condition; inspections were underway to determine whether they could remain standing or would have to be demolished.
A year before the blast, Plaka residents had warned the city and utility companies of possible gas leaks or short circuits, according to a residents’ association letter published by Kathimerini; they also called for a fire drill. A citizens’ group said on social media that a resident on the street had alerted authorities after smelling a possible gas leak.
