Greek authorities say a propane gas leak appears to be the cause of the deadly explosion that killed five workers at a food manufacturing plant in the city of Trikala, as new evidence and survivor testimony shed light on the conditions leading up to the blast.
On Tuesday, prosecutors ordered the owner of the factory, along with the company’s safety officer and the shift supervisor, to appear before a prosecutor. All three face felony charges, including unintentional homicide, unintentional arson, and causing bodily harm to multiple victims.
According to findings from an on-site inspection, investigators discovered a hole in the piping that carried propane gas from storage tanks to the factory’s industrial ovens. Authorities believe the gas leaked over time and accumulated inside the building before igniting.
The piping reportedly ran through the basement of the facility, where electrical equipment was installed. Investigators say a spark from that equipment may have triggered the explosion.
Several workers told fire investigators that they had noticed the smell of gas in recent months and had reported it to their supervisors. The issue, they said, was downplayed and attributed to other routine operations inside the factory.
Public broadcaster ERTnews aired footage highlighting the section of piping believed to be the source of the leak, which ultimately led to the explosion that flattened the plant’s production line.
Following the arrests, the company released a statement saying the detentions were carried out in line with legal procedures and stressing that it has cooperated fully with authorities since the incident. The company said it remains committed to helping determine the exact causes of the tragedy as quickly as possible.
Survivor accounts describe moments of chaos and horror inside the factory. One worker who managed to escape alive said the blast was deafening, plunging the building into darkness as ceiling panels collapsed.
“There was a huge explosion, everything went black, and panels started falling from the ceiling,” the worker said. “I heard women screaming, shouting for help.”
The worker said he fought through flames, smoke, and falling debris to escape and managed to pull three colleagues to safety. Five women, however, remained trapped on the ground floor, directly above the point of the explosion.
The floor collapsed, the building was torn apart, and fire engulfed the facility. Temperatures inside reportedly exceeded 1,000 degrees Celsius, melting steel structures and leaving no chance of survival for those trapped.
Another worker recalled returning briefly to try to help, only to be driven back by the intensity of the fire and the falling debris. “I thought I would never see my children again,” he said.
A separate employee said the smell of gas had been noticeable at times. “We mentioned it,” the worker said, adding that supervisors told them it came from routine operations and offered no further explanation.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities expected to determine whether safety failures and ignored warnings contributed to one of the deadliest industrial accidents in the region in recent years.
