Warrants Target Three Men Over Deadly Plaka Gas Blast

Arrest warrants have gone out for three men over the deadly Plaka explosion. Fire Service investigators allege they damaged a gas line while stealing copper.

The blast on the morning of 25 September brought down a building on Lysikratous Street. Six people died: four US citizens, a British national and a Greek citizen. Their deaths drew tributes in Greece and abroad.

What investigators say caused the Plaka explosion

According to the Hellenic Fire Service, the three men allegedly damaged pipes in the building’s natural gas installation. Investigators say the aim was to steal copper piping.

In their view, this damage caused the gas leak behind the Plaka explosion. However, no court has ruled on the claims, and none of the men has had a chance to respond publicly.

Read more: Plaka Explosion: Woman Found Dead as Rescuers Search for Five Missing People

The Fire Service said its arson crimes division worked in strict secrecy for 34 days. Judicial authorities in Athens then issued the three warrants on 29 October.

Earlier, investigators had ruled out a leak in the main gas pipeline in the street. Their focus then turned to the building itself.

Suspects identified, not yet named

Officials have not released the names of the men wanted over the Plaka explosion. The Fire Service described two of them as Greek nationals and one as an Albanian national.

Local reports put the ages of the suspects at 34, 37 and 55. Those reports also said police knew all three men from past cases.

Television footage reportedly showed security cameras recording three men entering the building on the night before the blast. All three then allegedly left with a piece of copper pipe.

The Fire Service said experts helped with the case. They included electrical engineers, a chemist and a metals laboratory at the National Technical University of Athens.

Investigators also rebuilt the scene, studied video footage and checked phone records under a court order. Under Greek law, all three men keep the presumption of innocence.

Source: Kathimerini English Edition

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