Archive · 26 Sep 2026
Explosion Collapses Building in Tourist Athens, Injuring Three
An explosion happened in Plaka, a famous tourist area of Athens, on Friday morning.
The blast made an old two-story building collapse.
Two women in a nearby building were rescued and taken to a hospital.
A passer-by was also hurt by falling debris.
Reports said several people might have been inside the collapsed building.
One report said six people were missing, including tourists, while another said at least five people had stayed there.
Rescue workers searched the rubble with dogs, excavators and special cameras.
Nearby buildings, cars and shops were damaged.
Officials had not confirmed what caused the explosion, but a gas leak was suspected.
An explosion collapsed an old two-story residential building in Athens’ historic Plaka district on Friday morning.
Two women trapped in an adjacent building were rescued and taken to hospital, while a passer-by was slightly injured.
Reports differed on the number of people potentially missing, ranging from five occupants to six people, including tourists.
The blast damaged neighboring buildings, houses, shops, parked cars and streets, with debris reaching several blocks.
The cause was not confirmed, although local media and investigators cited a gas leak as a possible explanation.
- Who
- Two rescued women and a passer-by were injured; reports also said five or six people may have been missing from the collapsed building.
- What
- An explosion caused an old two-story building to collapse and damaged surrounding property.
- When
- Friday morning, September 25, at about 7:30 a.m. local time.
- Where
- The Plaka district of Athens, Greece, near the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus.
- Why
- The cause was not confirmed; a gas leak was suspected by local media and cited by investigators.
Cautious Initial Reporting
Expanded Later Reporting
Injury count
Cautious Initial Reporting
Some reports described at least two injured people, referring to the two women rescued from an adjacent building.
Expanded Later Reporting
Reuters reported three injured people, adding that a passer-by was hurt by debris.
People possibly trapped
Cautious Initial Reporting
Reuters said at least five people had lodged in the building, but it was unclear whether anyone remained trapped.
Expanded Later Reporting
Another report said police were searching for six missing people, including tourists and an elderly couple.
Cause of the blast
Cautious Initial Reporting
Authorities said the cause was not immediately clear and that the site inspection was still incomplete.
Expanded Later Reporting
Local media and reported investigator information identified a gas leak as a suspected cause.
- Incident
- Explosion followed by the collapse of an old two-story building
- Location
- Plaka district, Athens, Greece
- Confirmed injuries
- Two women rescued from an adjacent building and a passer-by were reported injured
- Potentially missing
- One report said six people, including four tourists; Reuters reported at least five people had lodged at the building
- Rescue response
- Firefighters used dogs, excavators and thermal cameras to search the debris
- Damage
- Neighboring buildings, houses, shops, parked cars and streets were damaged
- Possible cause
- A gas leak was suspected, but the fire brigade had not concluded its site inspection
