Powerful explosion in Greece: the Albanians who lost their lives under the rubble

New details have emerged from the serious incident in the Plaka area of Athens, where a powerful explosion caused the collapse of a building and the loss of six lives.

According to Greek media, among the victims are also citizens of Albanian origin. Identified among the victims are Florida Hodja and her husband Ian Alexander Kirkpatrick, who had traveled to Greece for their honeymoon.

The newlywed couple had rented an apartment on the first floor of the building on “Lysikratous” Street, where the explosion occurred. According to information published by Greek media, passports with their names were found in the rubble.

Among the victims are also Eris Tsani and his wife Florin Hodja, while the other two victims are an elderly couple who lived on the second floor of the building, A2CNN writes.

The search-and-rescue operation ended with the recovery of six bodies from the rubble. Firefighters and EMAK teams worked for hours in the collapsed area, also using search-and-rescue dogs and special equipment.

The explosion occurred on Friday morning on “Lysikratous” Street, in the heart of Athens. Part of the building collapsed in the explosion, while Greek authorities have launched investigations to determine the cause.

Preliminary suspicions have focused on a possible gas leak, but the final cause is expected to be determined after the investigations are completed.