Three people were slightly injured after a fire broke out at a hotel near central Athens’ Omonia Square on Sunday morning, prompting the evacuation of the eight-story building and a major emergency response.
The blaze erupted around midday in a ground-floor area of the hotel, which was operating at the time. Thick smoke quickly spread through the building, trapping several guests on balconies on the upper floors before firefighters brought the fire under control within minutes.
A total of 25 firefighters, supported by seven fire engines, a hydraulic platform and an aerial ladder truck, responded to the incident, according to the fire brigade.
Emergency medical crews treated several guests who suffered from smoke inhalation, with oxygen administered at the scene. Most of those affected had been staying on the sixth, seventh and eighth floors, where smoke accumulated rapidly during the incident.
A 41-year-old foreign national sustained burns to his hands and legs and was hospitalized for treatment. Overall, three people suffered minor injuries, according to emergency responders.
Initial information reported by local media indicates the fire may have started while an electric e-scooter was being charged in the hotel’s ground-floor area. Witnesses told authorities they heard an explosion moments before flames spread through the entrance level of the building. Fire officials have not confirmed the cause, and the circumstances remain under investigation.
The hotel was evacuated as a precaution, and authorities later secured the building after confirming the fire had been extinguished.
