Six die in Athens building blast, including four US tourists

Six people, including four American tourists, were killed after an explosion brought down a small residential building in central Athens, officials said on Saturday. The blast occurred at dawn on Friday in the Plaka district, a popular area near the Acropolis that contains numerous tourist lodgings. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said a gas leak was the likely cause, although the circumstances remained under investigation.

The other victims were an elderly British man and his Greek wife, who lived on the second floor of the three-storey building, Greece’s state broadcaster ERT reported. The American family had been renting an apartment on the first floor. According to the Kathimerini newspaper, the family had been preparing to leave for the airport and return to the United States later on Friday.

The New York Times reported that it consisted of a couple, their son and his girlfriend. Greek authorities had not released the victims’ identities or ages. The explosion damaged vehicles and nearby properties as the residential building collapsed.

Mechanical diggers and thermal-imaging cameras were being used at the scene on Saturday as emergency personnel continued working through the debris. Mayor Doukas described the incident as an “incredible disaster” and said two nearby buildings were in a dangerous condition. Inspections were under way to determine whether they could remain standing or would also need to be demolished.

A residents’ association had warned the city and utility companies a year earlier about possible gas leaks or short circuits in the neighbourhood, according to a letter published by Kathimerini. Residents had also called for a fire drill, while a citizens’ group said someone had alerted authorities after smelling a possible gas leak. The Plaka district is one of Athens’s busiest tourist areas.

The nearby Acropolis received 4.6 million visitors last year, according to the supplied report.