Μake us preferred on Google A fire that broke out early Monday at a cafe and spread to an apartment building in Nea Ionia, a northern suburb of Athens, is being investigated as arson after authorities found flammable material scattered around the business.
The investigation has been taken over by the Extortion Prosecution Department, while officers from the Directorate for Arson Crimes are examining evidence from the scene. Police are also investigating the cafe’s history and whether the blaze could be connected to previous attacks against businesses owned by foreign nationals in central Athens.
A fire broke out at a cafe on Kastamonis Street in the early hours of Monday, destroying the business and causing property damage. Monday, September 28, 2026 (MICHALIS KARAGIANNIS/EUROKINISSI)
The cafe is owned by a 22-year-old Syrian man, who told police he had not received any recent threats.
Investigators examine possible motives
Police are reviewing video footage from the area to determine whether it captured suspicious movements that could help identify those responsible for the fire.
Investigators are examining whether the cafe’s owners had financial debts or personal disputes, or whether they had been threatened or subjected to extortion.
Authorities are also considering whether the fire could be connected to the cafe’s violent past.
A fire broke out at a cafe on Kastamonis Street in the early hours of Monday, destroying the business and causing property damage. Monday, September 28, 2026 (MICHALIS KARAGIANNIS/EUROKINISSI)
The same business came to the attention of authorities in February 2023, when a deadly shooting occurred inside the cafe, leaving a 37-year-old customer fatally wounded. Two days earlier, according to information cited in the report, the 16-year-old son of the cafe’s then-owner had been attacked and robbed by unidentified assailants.
Investigators are examining all possible motives, including financial or personal disputes, possible extortion and a potential connection to the 2023 killing. They are also investigating whether the order for the arson attack could have been issued from inside a prison.
A fire broke out at a cafe on Kastamonis Street in the early hours of Monday, destroying the business and causing property damage. Monday, September 28, 2026 (MICHALIS KARAGIANNIS/EUROKINISSI)
Residents flee as fire spreads
The blaze spread rapidly to the upper floors of the apartment building, causing panic among residents.
Several people, including children, had to be evacuated. Some residents fled to the roof as flames and thick smoke engulfed balconies.
A 10-year-old girl was among those rescued from the rooftop after inhaling a large amount of smoke. She was taken to the Agia Sofia Children’s Hospital in Athens as a precaution and was reported to be out of danger.
A fire broke out at a cafe on Kastamonis Street in the early hours of Monday, destroying the business and causing property damage. Monday, September 28, 2026 (MICHALIS KARAGIANNIS/EUROKINISSI)
Another girl, aged 11, was hospitalized with respiratory problems.
Firefighters also had to break down the door of an apartment on the first floor to rescue a woman who was nine months pregnant.
Despite explosions, thick smoke and flames spreading across the balconies, firefighters responded immediately and safely evacuated all the building’s residents.
At least six apartments were completely destroyed, while several others suffered extensive damage.
