Greece’s Foreign Ministry identified the six people killed in Friday’s explosion and building collapse in Athens’ historic Plaka district: four US citizens, one Briton and one Greek woman. They were first reported missing; their bodies were later recovered from the rubble.
Greek media reported that the four US victims were two married couples staying in a first-floor holiday flat. They were due to fly back to the US on Friday and had checked in for their return flight, but did not arrive at the airport. A Briton and a Greek woman lived on the second floor.
The three-storey building collapsed at about 7:30 a.m. Friday after a powerful explosion triggered a fire. A passer-by was slightly injured by debris, and two women from a neighbouring building were taken to hospital as a precaution. The cause remains unclear. Greek media reported that experts were examining a possible gas leak among other causes; residents had reportedly noticed a gas smell before the explosion.
