An explosion occurred shortly before 8 am at a two-story building on Lysikratous Street in Plaka, central Athens.
According to initial information, the building is old and has sustained serious damage. Οne passerby has been lightly injured from debris.
At the same time, firefighters rescued two women from a neighboring building. One of the two is elderly and lightly injured, and both are being taken to hospital for first aid.
Earlier, there had been reports of people calling for help, prompting authorities to raise the alarm amid fears that people might be trapped inside the building where the explosion occurred.
Έκρηξη βόμβας στη Πλάκα pic.twitter.com/8ENB7sryCR
— Origiris (@Niorigiris) September 25, 2026
The explosion was so powerful that it was heard across central Athens.
Debris damaged parked cars, while the blast wave also caused damage to businesses in the area.
According to an update from the Hellenic Fire Service, the explosion also caused a small fire.
The Fire Service Operations Center was notified of the incident at 7:45 a.m., and 20 firefighters with six vehicles, along with a specialized rescue vehicle from 1st EMAK, Greece’s elite disaster-response and rescue unit, were immediately dispatched to the scene.
The City of Athens was also mobilized to assist with heavy equipment.
The Athens Fire Investigation Unit was deployed to investigate the cause of the incident. One of the scenarios under review is a gas leak.
