Athens: Six people died after an explosion caused a two-storey residential building to collapse in the Greek capital's tourist district of Plaka, near the Acropolis, with four of the victims identified as US citizens, authorities said on Saturday.
The blast on Friday morning was believed to have been caused by a major gas leak, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said, while an investigation into the exact cause was underway. Neighbouring buildings were damaged and evacuated.
Greek state TV ERT and other local media reported that personal documents and belongings found with four of the victims — two men and two women — indicated they were US citizens. The other two victims were an elderly British man and his Greek wife, according to local reports.
The four US tourists, two couples staying in a short-term rental in the building, had been expected to catch a flight from Athens airport on Friday but did not show up, a police source said.
Two women were injured in an adjacent building on Lysikratous Street, the fire brigade said. The blast also damaged nearby houses, shops and cars, with rubble and broken glass sent as far as three blocks away.
The fire department said rescuers recovered all six bodies from the rubble on Saturday. The bodies were taken to a hospital for identification.
The fire brigade's crime investigation unit was at the site to determine the cause of the blast after reports of a gas smell in the area, which is home to hotels and short-term rentals.
Plaka, the historic part of Athens at the foot of the Acropolis, is one of the city's most visited tourist areas.(With input from Reuters, AP via PTI)