What happened
A suspected gas leak caused an explosion that destroyed a residential building in the Plaka district of Athens, near the Acropolis, resulting in the deaths of six people, including four American tourists.
The American tourists, two men and two women, were believed to be two couples staying in the two-story building when the blast occurred. They were scheduled to catch a flight from Athens airport but never arrived.
Emergency crews recovered six bodies from the rubble, including the four American tourists and two residents, an elderly couple who lived in the building. The search-and-rescue operation involved 30 firefighters and three dogs, with crews using cameras and sensors to comb through the debris.
The explosion, believed to have been caused by a major gas leak, damaged nearby homes, shops, and vehicles, with rubble and shattered glass scattered as far as three blocks away. Two women were injured in an adjacent building, and a nearby church was also damaged, with Sunday services to be held outdoors.
The U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, expressed sadness over the deaths of the American citizens, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the explosion.
