Six bodies have been recovered after an explosion caused a building collapse near the Acropolis in Athens, with a British man and his Greek wife believed to be among the dead.
The blast struck the Plaka tourist district on Friday morning, Greek broadcaster ERT reported. The retired British man, 78, and his Greek wife, 77, were pulled from the rubble early on Friday. The couple lived on the second floor of the building, which overlooked the Hadrian's Gate monument.
American nationals also killed
American nationals staying in a short-term rental on the first floor were also killed in the incident.
Panagiotis-Paris Harlafti, deputy mayor of Athens, told The Sun: “Now that the victims have been found, the operation will turn to the cause and discovering what triggered the explosion. It could have been a gas leak, it could have been something else, even an explosive device, but we will only be sure in due course.”
Investigation into cause
Images showed responders working around the building, which had been reduced to rubble. The blast is believed to have been caused by a massive gas leak, Athens mayor Haris Doukas said on Friday night.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are aware of a suspected explosion in Athens and are in touch with the local authorities. We stand ready to offer assistance to British nationals abroad 24/7.”
