British man and his Greek wife among six killed in explosion/Image: Reuters
An elderly British man and his Greek wife among six are believed to have died after an explosion caused a three-storey building to collapse in central Athens, with a gas leak suspected to be behind the blast, Sky News reported.
The British man and his wife, who were both reportedly in their 70s, lived on the second floor of the building overlooking Hadrian’s Gate, according to local reports. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas described the incident as an “incredible disaster”. A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said the government was aware of the suspected explosion and was in contact with local authorities. “We are aware of a suspected explosion in Athens and are in touch with the local authorities,” the spokesperson said.
The property also contained a holiday rental and was destroyed in the blast. Debris was thrown across the surrounding road, while neighbouring buildings were damaged and some were evacuated. Four American tourists were also among those killed in the blast. Emergency crews searched the collapsed building for survivors using excavators and thermal imaging cameras. All six bodies had been recovered by Saturday afternoon. People in nearby streets were reportedly injured by debris from the explosion. The blast happened on a small road between the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, two of the Greek capital’s most visited sites. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
The blast struck on Friday morning in Plaka, a historic area of the Greek capital close to the Acropolis and other major tourist landmarks. The tourists were reported missing after they failed to arrive for their flight from Athens airport later on Friday, Reuters reported, citing local police.