Building Collapse in Athens Plaka After Explosion; Five Missing

A powerful explosion around 7:30 a.m. caused an old building at the intersection of Vasilissis Amalias and Lysikratous streets in central Athens to collapse. The blast shook the neighbourhood and damaged adjacent buildings and parked vehicles.

Rescue teams are searching for five people believed to have been inside: an elderly couple on the second floor and three foreign tourists, possibly Americans, staying in an Airbnb on the first floor. None have been located or shown signs of life.

“The area resembles a "bombed landscape" with shattered windows and shutters hanging from wires.”

Two women were rescued from a neighbouring building and taken to Gennimatas Hospital, while a male passerby suffered light injuries from debris. Twenty-four firefighters with six vehicles and a specialised rescue unit are operating at the scene.

Deputy Mayor for Civil Protection Andreas Grammatikogiannis reported extensive damage to nearly all nearby structures, including shattered windows, hanging shutters, and a "bombed landscape" of rubble and dust.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause, focusing on a possible natural gas leak. The gas distribution company EDA is assisting the probe.