A drone view shows an old building, partially collapsed following an explosion, in the Plaka area, which is popular with tourists, in central Athens, Greece, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Stamos Prousalis

Six dead after explosion destroys building in Athens

· Yahoo News UK
Emergency personnel work at the site where an old building partially collapsed following an explosion, at the touristy Plaka area in central Athens, Greece, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
A drone view shows an old building, partially collapsed following an explosion, in the Plaka area, which is popular with tourists, with the Acropolis seen in the background, in central Athens, Greece, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Stamos Prousalis

Building partially collapses after explosion in central Athens

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A drone view shows an old building, partially collapsed following an explosion, in the Plaka area, which is popular with tourists, in central Athens, Greece, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Stamos Prousalis

ATHENS, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Six people have died after a two-storey residential building in a tourist area of central Athens collapsed, ‌the Greek fire brigade said on Saturday, following an explosion ‌that the mayor said was likely linked to gas infrastructure.

The explosion killed four Americans, US ​officials said.

Emergency crews in heavy gear and red helmets assisted by rescue dogs, cameras and sensors found the bodies of six people, fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said in a televised briefing. They were looking for an elderly ‌couple who lived in one ⁠apartment and four tourists who were staying in another as they removed debris from the building.

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The fire brigade's ⁠crime investigation unit was also on site to identify the cause of the blast after reports of a gas smell in an area that is ​home to ​hotels and short-term rentals.

The tourists, two ​American couples, had been expected to ‌catch a flight from Athens airport at 3 p.m. on Friday but did not show up, a police source said.

Ambulances stood by on Saturday to take the bodies to the hospital for identification.

"I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of four American citizens in yesterday's explosion in ‌central Athens," Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US ambassador ​to Greece, posted on X.

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The blast destroyed ​the building in Plaka, near ​some of Athens' most visited sites, including the Acropolis ‌and the Temple of Zeus, damaging ​nearby houses, shops ​and cars and sending rubble and broken glass as far as three blocks away.

The building was reduced to twisted metal, shattered tiles ​and concrete, strewn ‌with household items and clothing.

(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Additional reporting by ​Stelios Misinas, Vania Turner and Valentini Anagnostopoulou; Editing by Kirsten ​Donovan, Alexander Smith and William Mallard)