Six killed in Athens building explosion near Acropolis

Six people were killed after an explosion caused a residential building to collapse in Athens’ historic Plaka district, near the Acropolis, Greek authorities and local media reported Saturday.

The fire service said rescuers recovered the bodies of three women and three men from the rubble. Greek state broadcaster ERT and other local media reported that documents and belongings indicated four victims — two men and two women — were American tourists. The other two were reported to be a 77-year-old British man and his 78-year-old Greek wife, who lived in an upper-floor apartment. The fire service had not publicly identified the victims.

The four Americans, described by The Guardian as two brothers and their wives, had been staying in a short-term rental and were reported missing after failing to board a flight to the United States on Friday. At least two people in an adjacent building were injured by debris.

The blast occurred Friday morning and damaged nearby buildings, shops and vehicles. Emergency crews used search dogs, thermal cameras and heavy machinery to comb the wreckage.

Authorities are investigating the cause. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said a major gas leak was suspected, but officials had not determined the sequence of events or the substance involved. Local residents had previously reported smelling gas in the area, according to a police spokeswoman cited by ERT.