A woman was found dead in the early hours in the rubble of a building in the Plaka area of Athens, which collapsed after an explosion on Lysikratous Street on Friday morning.
According to information available so far, the woman was an American citizen and was staying with her partner and another couple, also US nationals, in a short-term rental apartment on the building’s first floor.
The Fire Service’s search and rescue operation is continuing, as five people remain missing: the three American tourists staying on the first floor and an elderly couple who lived on the second floor.
Thirty firefighters are taking part in the operation with six vehicles, including two specialised rescue vehicles from the 1st EMAK, as well as three search and rescue dogs. Rescuers are using specialised sound-detection geophones in the rubble and special cameras to locate those missing.
The Municipality of Athens is assisting the Fire Service with heavy machinery to remove the debris.
The explosion occurred shortly after 07:30 on Friday, 25 September, causing extensive damage to neighbouring buildings and parked vehicles.
On the previous day, firefighters freed two women from a neighbouring building. They were taken by an EKAB ambulance to the “Georgios Gennimatas” hospital. Another person sustained minor injuries from fragments.
A unit of the Directorate for the Investigation of Arson Crimes remains at the scene to investigate the causes of the disaster. ELAS forces and EKAB ambulances are also present in the area.
Source: CNA
