By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-26 05:36:03 | Updated at 2026-09-26 06:23:52
1 hour ago
A British man and his wife are among five feared dead after an explosion in Athens' tourist district.
An elderly couple, aged 77 and 78, lived on the second floor of the home in the district of Plaka as it was destroyed.
Four American tourists, who were holidaying in Athens, were staying on the first floor.
Six people were initially reported missing, but overnight, a woman's body was found on the first floor, according to New York-based Greek newspaper The National Herald.
The building was reduced to a mess of bent metal, hanging concrete slabs and batter balconies after the explosion on Friday.
It remains unclear what caused the devastation to the two-storey building on Lysikratous Street, near the Temple of Zeus.
A massive operation is now in place to look for survivors who might be trapped in the rubble.
At least three people are confirmed to have been injured in the explosion.
Firefighters pulled two women from the building next door
REUTERS
Firefighters pulled two women from the building next door and were taken to hospital, the city's fire department said.
A passer-by was also hurt in the blast at 7.30am local time, according to Greek news outlet eKathimerini.com.
Emergency services are now trying to determine if the tourists and elderly couple were within the house.
"A search and rescue operation with a dog is underway to find anyone who may be trapped," a fire department spokeswoman said.
Emergency services have yet to establish if the elderly Briton and tourists were inside the building at the time of the blast
REUTERS
The explosion sent rocks and broken glass flying as far as three blocks away.
The area is home to many hotels, short-term rentals, cafes and souvenir shops.
Many were also caught in the blast.
Local resident Andreas Martzaklis told Reuters the blast was devastating.
At least three were injured in the explosion, and a body has now been found
REUTERS
"It was like the whole building, the whole block blew off," he said. "That's how strong it was."
He also said those who had been rescued by the fire department were tourists.
Local pastor Giotis Kantartzis said: "From the bottom to the top, there is no window that has not been broken."
Greek media reported that a gas leak was the suspected cause of the explosion, but this has not been confirmed by officials, and its cause is still being investigated.
