The Greek Fire Service announced yesterday, Saturday, that six people were killed after a two-story residential building collapsed in a tourist area in central Athens following an explosion that the capital\u2019s mayor said was likely linked to the gas network.<\/p>\n
U.S. officials said the explosion killed four American citizens.<\/p>\n
Greek Fire Service spokesman \u201cVasilis Vathrakogiannis\u201d said emergency teams, supported by heavy equipment, rescue dogs, cameras, and sensors, found the bodies of the six victims. The teams had been searching for an elderly couple who lived in one of the apartments, along with four tourists staying in another apartment.<\/p>\n
The Fire Service\u2019s criminal investigation unit arrived at the scene to determine the cause of the explosion, following reports of a gas smell in the area, which includes hotels and residential units designated for short-term rentals. A police source said the four tourists \u2014 an American couple \u2014 had been scheduled to leave their accommodation to catch a flight from Athens Airport at 3 p.m. on Friday, but they did not show up.<\/p>\n
Ambulances remained on standby on Saturday to transport the bodies to the hospital in preparation for identifying the victims. \u201cKimberly Guilfoyle,\u201d the U.S. ambassador to Greece, wrote on \u201cX\u201d: \u201cI am deeply saddened by the news of the deaths of four American citizens in the explosion that occurred yesterday in central Athens.\u201d<\/p>\n
The explosion, which occurred on Friday, destroyed a building in the \u201cPlaka\u201d district near some of Athens\u2019 most famous tourist landmarks, including the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It also caused extensive damage to homes, shops, and cars, while debris and shattered glass were scattered across an area extending up to three residential blocks. The building was reduced to a pile of twisted metal, shattered tiles, and concrete blocks, among which household belongings and clothing were scattered.<\/p>\n
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