Explosion collapses building in tourist heart of Athens, three injured

An explosion caused a residential building to collapse in the crowded touristic centre of Athens on Friday, injuring three people and damaging houses, shops and cars across a historic neighbourhood.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blast in the two-storey building in Plaka, near some of Athens’ most popular sites including the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus, sending rocks and broken glass as far as three blocks away, Reuters reported. Local media reported that a gas leak probably caused the explosion, which was powerful enough to be heard throughout the city centre.

Fire crews and ambulances rushed to the scene as smoke billowed above the ancient monuments. The building was reduced to a mess of twisted metal, broken balconies and hanging concrete slabs.

“It was like the whole building, the whole block blew off. That’s how strong it was,” local resident Andreas Martzaklis told reporters.

Authorities said a passer-by was injured. Two women who had been trapped in an adjacent building were rescued and taken to hospital.

A police source said at least five people lodged at the building, part of which was rented out to tourists. It was not immediately clear whether others were trapped. Police spokeswoman Constantina Dimoglidou told public broadcaster ERT that the fire brigade had not yet concluded its site inspection.

The area is home to many hotels and short-term rentals, and crowds of tourists stroll its narrow streets lined with cafes and souvenir shops.

Sources

• Reuters via SRN News: Building partially collapses after explosion in central Athens — https://srnnews.com/building-partially-collapses-after-explosion-in-central-athens-one-person-reportedly-injured/
• Korea Times (Reuters/Yonhap): Explosion near Greece’s Acropolis injures at least 2 people, collapses 1 building — https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20260925/explosion-near-greeces-acropolis-injures-at-least-2-people-collapses-1-building