The last two people missing after Friday’s explosion in Plaka were found dead on Saturday, bringing the death toll to six.
The victims were four American tourists staying in a short-term rental apartment on the first floor and an elderly couple, who reportedly lived on the second floor.
The two Americans couples had been due to leave Athens on Friday but never arrived at the airport for their flight. The couple upstairs were a 78-year-old British man and his 77-year-old wife.
The explosion struck Friday morning on Lysikratous Street in Plaka, Athens’ historic center, and was followed by a fire and the collapse of much of the two story building.
In an emergency briefing Saturday, Vasilis Vathrakogiannis, the Fire Service official responsible for strategic planning and communications, said all six victims had been recovered from the ruins and taken away by ambulance crews.
He said firefighters had also rescued two women from a neighboring building when they arrived at the scene Friday morning. Both were taken to hospital by ambulance.
Thirty firefighters took part in the operation, supported by six vehicles, two specialized rescue vehicles from Greece’s 1st EMAK disaster response unit and three search and rescue dogs. Crews used acoustic listening devices and cameras as they worked through the debris.
Vathrakogiannis said the operation continued through the night without interruption and followed the protocol used after a building collapse caused by an earthquake.
Investigators Examine Sequence of Blast, Fire and Collapse
A team of 10 specialists from the Fire Service unit that investigates arson and explosions has been at the site since shortly after the incident.
Investigators are documenting the scene, collecting evidence and examining the sequence of the explosion, the fire and the collapse in an effort to determine what happened.
The inquiry is being conducted under the direction of the Athens prosecutor’s office and in cooperation with the police.
Questions have also centered on gas after residents reported an odor in the area.
Vathrakogiannis said employees of enaon EDA, the gas distribution company, were called to the scene because of those reports. He stressed, however, that the Fire Service had received no complaint about a smell of gas in the area before the explosion.
Paris Charlavtis, a deputy mayor of Athens, had earlier told ERT that the building had two separate gas boilers, one serving each floor.
No cause has been established.
Damage Extends to Nearby Buildings
The blast also caused extensive damage to surrounding properties and parked vehicles.
A preliminary inspection by city planning and building control officials found serious damage in three or four buildings, including the one where the explosion occurred, Charlavtis said.
The destroyed building is being demolished, while engineers continue assessing nearby structures.
Part of the second floor of one adjoining building has broken away. In another, the wall separating it from the destroyed property was damaged, while a building across the street also sustained serious damage.
Farther from the site, the damage was less severe but still widespread, including shattered windows and sections of building facades dislodged by the force of the explosion.
The City of Athens has also supplied heavy machinery to help remove debris and assist crews at the site.
