site.btaFive Missing After Building in Central Athens Collapses

The number of people reported missing following an explosion and partial collapse of a building in the central Athens district of Plaka has risen to five, Greek public broadcaster ERT reported, citing information from the Fire Service.

Rescue teams continue to search through the rubble of the old two-storey building, which partially collapsed following an explosion shortly after 7.30 am local time on Friday morning. Personnel from the EMAK disaster response unit and a specially trained search dog are taking part in the operation.

Authorities are trying to determine who was inside the building at the time of the explosion. According to witness accounts, tourists were temporarily staying on the first floor, while an elderly couple lived on the second floor. A total of five people are currently reported missing, ERT said.

According to information available so far, a passer-by sustained minor injuries in the explosion. Two other women were also taken to hospital for medical examinations.

The exact cause of the explosion has not yet been established. Initial assessments suggest it may have been related to a problem with the building’s internal gas installation, but there is currently no official conclusion. Sources familiar with the operation of the gas distribution network told ERT that no problem had been detected with the central gas supply in the area, directing attention instead to a possible fault or leak in the internal installation of the collapsed building.

Athens Deputy Mayor for Construction Paris Charlaftis also told ERT that initial indications pointed to a possible malfunction or natural gas leak during the night. He stressed that firm conclusions could only be drawn after the Fire Service’s investigation has been completed.

The company operating the gas distribution network said that its teams had arrived at the scene and were carrying out the necessary checks in cooperation with the competent authorities.

Gas and electricity supplies in the area have been disconnected as a precautionary measure.

The building where the explosion occurred has been destroyed, with its facade collapsed, and is no longer fit for use, authorities said. A neighboring building has also sustained serious damage; a date of 1880 is displayed at its entrance as the year it was built. Technical teams will determine whether the building is safe to inhabit.

The blast wave damaged nearby shops and other buildings in the area. Later, part of the remains of the destroyed building collapsed again during a live television broadcast by ERT. The area remains cordoned off due to the risk of further collapses.

At the end of June, another residential building collapsed in the Athens district of Petralona during construction work on a neighboring property. One woman was initially reported missing, but her relatives later managed to contact her, and it became clear that she had not been inside the building when it collapsed. No one was injured in the incident.