Plaka Explosion: Police Search for Five Missing, Gas Suspected

Firefighters remain at the scene of Friday morning’s explosion on Lysikratous Street in Plaka, searching the rubble to rule out the possibility that anyone is trapped beneath what is left of the building.

Five People Being Sought

Police are trying to locate five people to determine whether they were in the building at the time of the blast. A specially trained dog from the Special Disaster Response Unit (EMAK) was also brought to the site, but nothing has been found so far.

The Moment of the Explosion

As the hours pass, videos from nearby buildings have emerged showing the moment of the explosion. The footage shows people running in panic out of a hotel located about 100 meters from the site.

Car Lifted Into the Air

At the time of the explosion, a car was driving along Lysikratous Street, right in front of the building that collapsed. The driver escaped by what he called a “miracle.” Speaking to Orange Press Agency, he described the moment the blast hit him while he was driving:

“I was in the car at the moment I passed by here and the explosion happened. I didn’t understand what was happening to me. What I understood is what you can see happened to the car, and everything around me blew out. No flash at all, nothing. Just a loud explosion. A bang. The car lifted up into the air! The car lifted into the air and then came back down.”

He explained that the car’s windows shattered immediately, and the electric doors locked, forcing him to climb out through the window:

“The windows broke… I tried to get out of the car. The doors wouldn’t open because the car shut off and it’s electric. I got out through the car window. Thank God. There were no people passing by at that moment, the street was empty, a quiet morning as always.”

In the panic and the thick dust that covered the entire street, the driver at first thought the explosion may have come from his own car:

“I thought the explosion happened inside the car. From what I understood, I didn’t realize if it had happened in the building there. I had to run, to get away. At that moment I didn’t have the presence of mind to look at what was happening behind me, because it was full of dust, like smoke. I couldn’t see.”

Dozens of Vehicles Damaged

Dozens of vehicles have also been significantly damaged. Drone footage from Orange Press Agency shows the extent of the destruction at the center of the blast.

Passerby Injured

In addition to the two women rescued from a neighboring building, a passerby was also lightly injured.

Gas Is the Main Scenario

The Athens Arson Crimes Investigation Unit has been mobilized to investigate the cause of the explosion. Residents have reported smelling gas, and this is the main scenario authorities are examining.