A powerful explosion shook the Plaka area in central Athens this morning.
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The incident occurred shortly before 08:00 in an old two-story building on Lysikratous Street, opposite the Pillars of Olympian Zeus.
The force of the explosion caused the building to collapse, while a passerby suffered minor injuries after being struck by flying debris.
Firefighters also intervened at a building near the scene, from which two women, one of them elderly, were rescued.
Both women were taken by EKAV emergency teams to Georgios Gennimatas Hospital, where they received first aid.
The explosion was heard in various parts of the capital
The blast was so loud that it was heard across a considerable part of central Athens.
Debris from the building fell onto several parked vehicles and damaged them. In addition, the shockwave also caused damage to several businesses in the area. The fire service reported that a small fire also broke out after the incident.
The Fire Service Operations Center received the alert at 07:45. Twenty firefighters, six vehicles and a specialized rescue vehicle from the first EMAK unit were mobilized at the scene.
The Municipality of Athens was also involved in the operation, making a utility vehicle available to support the teams. Investigations to determine the cause are also being carried out by the Athens arson investigation unit.
Gas leak, main line of investigation
The exact cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed, but initial findings point to a possible natural gas leak.
Several people who were in the area said they had noticed a strong smell of gas before the explosion.
A woman who worked near the building said she had seen the smoke and its collapse. She also mentioned the strong smell of gas that had been detected before the incident.
Another witness also described the explosion as extremely powerful, saying that at that moment she had noticed both the smell of gas and the smoke.
Greek authorities are continuing their work to clarify the circumstances and the ultimate cause of the explosion.
