Greek rescuers were on Friday searching for six people missing after the collapse of a building in the tourist district of Athens caused by an explosion, according to Greek firefighters.
“A search and rescue operation with a dog is underway to find people possibly trapped” under the rubble of this two-story building in the Plaka district, a fire department spokesperson told AFP. “An elderly couple and three other people, staying in a seasonal rental, resided in the building and we are trying to find out whether or not they were present during the explosion,” she added. Excavators cleared the rubble and thermal cameras were deployed at the scene by rescuers, according to images from public television channel Ert.
According to the channel, investigators believe that the explosion which occurred around 7:30 a.m. and which preceded the collapse of the building was caused by a gas leak. According to information provided to the rescue teams and reported by the newspaper “Kathimerini”, the second floor of the building was occupied by an elderly couple and the first by four American tourists, on short-term rentals.
Tourist area of Plaka
Earlier in the morning, two women were rescued from a nearby building during search and rescue operations and subsequently hospitalized. Another person was lightly injured by flying debris in the explosion, while nearby buildings and parked vehicles were damaged.
The owner of the apartment on the ground floor, Mathaios Artavanis, interviewed by the newspaper “Kathimerini”, explained that he tried to communicate with “the elderly couple of around 70 years since the morning” but without success. The Athens town hall planning department was mobilized to check the stability of neighboring buildings, according to Mayor Haris Doukas interviewed on local radio Athens 984.
The historic district of Plaka, where the building is located, is one of the most touristy in the Greek capital, located below the Acropolis, visited by 4.5 million tourists in 2025. The building is located near Hadrian’s Arch, one of the main monuments from the Roman era in the Greek capital where the tourist season continues to be in full swing.
