Plaka tragedy: death toll rises to six as last two missing persons found dead

Athens, September 26 — A powerful explosion that rocked the tourist district of Plaka on Friday morning (September 25), at 15 Lysikratous Street, caused the complete collapse of a two-story building. A gas leak remains the main suspected cause of the tragedy, as investigations continue to clarify the exact circumstances of the incident.

On Saturday (September 26), rescue teams pulled the bodies out one after another: a woman overnight, a man at 11:00 a.m., a man and a woman around 1:00 p.m., while the final two bodies were found in the afternoon. With their discovery, all six people reported missing are confirmed dead, and no one remains unaccounted for.

The victims were four American tourists who had rented an apartment on the first floor. They were supposed to leave on a Delta flight at 3:30 p.m. on Friday but never showed up at the airport. Among them was a young couple on their honeymoon in Greece. The second floor was home to an elderly couple — a British citizen with his Greek wife — who also lost their lives under the rubble.

Thirty firefighters with six vehicles, two of them specialized, along with three search-and-rescue dogs, took part in the search-and-rescue operation. The teams found a handbag with personal belongings, two passports and the apartment’s rental contract among the rubble — evidence that helped identify the residents.

Two women were rescued from the neighboring building and taken to hospital, while a passerby was lightly injured. Authorities confirm there are no other injured and that the search at the scene is considered closed, as eKathimerini reports.