Μake us preferred on Google As the search of the collapsed building in Plaka drew to a close, details are beginning to emerge about the six people killed in Friday’s explosion.
According to media reports, four of them were American tourists staying in a short term rental apartment on the first floor: Florida Hoxha, Ian Kirkpatrick, 37, Erisa Cani and Florin Hoxha. Three were of Albanian origin.
According to reports Florida and Florin Hoxha were siblings. Florida had recently married Kirkpatrick, and the two had come to Greece for their honeymoon. Kirkpatrick had made the reservation for the apartment where the group was staying.
Florin Hoxha and Erisa Cani were also a couple. According to information available so far, Cani was about three months pregnant and they were expecting their first child.
The four were due to leave Greece on Friday, the day of the explosion, on a flight scheduled for 3:30 p.m. They never reached the airport.
As news of the collapse spread, one of Florida Hoxha and Kirkpatrick’s relatives turned to Reddit looking for information after reports emerged that passports bearing their names had been found in the rubble.
“The building that collapsed in Plaka about 13 hours ago is believed to have been housing my cousins Ian and Florida,” the relative wrote. “They are on their honeymoon.”
The post said the couple had not been in touch with their family and appealed for help reaching police or rescue teams in Athens.
The Couple Upstairs
The two other people killed were Athina Papareskou, 78, and Edmond Hings, 77, who lived on the second floor of the building. Hings was British.
Their apartment was directly above the short term rental occupied by the four Americans.
The explosion struck the two story building on Lysikratous Street on Friday morning, bringing down much of the structure. Rescue crews searched the wreckage through Friday and Saturday, recovering the final two victims on Saturday afternoon.
