Six dead after explosion destroys building in Athens

Highlights:

• Rescuers looked for an elderly couple, four US tourists
• Four Americans dead, US ambassador says
• Blast damaged nearby houses, shops and cars
• Cause unclear but Athens' mayor says it is likely linked to gas

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.

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 pm 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.

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.