Six people were missing after an explosion brought down a two-storey building in Athens' historic Plaka district on Friday morning, prompting an overnight search through unstable rubble and damaged neighboring structures.
The blast occurred at about 7:30 a.m. local time on a narrow street in one of the Greek capital's busiest visitor areas. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said authorities considered a large gas leak the likely trigger, although the cause remained under investigation. He described extensive damage along the street and behind the collapsed property.
Police raised the number of missing from five to six later in the day. Greek public broadcaster ERT identified those unaccounted for as a British man and a Greek woman who lived on the second floor, as well as four American tourists staying in short-term accommodation on the first floor. Authorities had not confirmed their condition by late Friday.
Search crews planned to work through the night. Thirty firefighters, six vehicles and three rescue dogs were deployed, while excavators moved debris and thermal cameras were used to look for signs of survivors. Doukas said machinery was being stopped at intervals so teams could listen for sounds beneath the wreckage.
Two women were rescued from an adjoining building and taken to hospital. A third person suffered minor injuries from debris. The explosion damaged nearby buildings and parked vehicles, leaving rescuers to balance the urgent search with the risk posed by weakened structures.
City officials began inspecting two adjacent buildings that were reported to be in very poor condition. Engineers were assessing whether they could remain standing or would need to be demolished. That work was important both for public safety and for protecting crews operating beside the collapse site.
An owner of a ground-floor apartment told the Kathimerini news outlet that he had been unable to reach an elderly couple, around 70 years old, associated with the building. Initial reports from the fire service had referred to two elderly residents and three tourists, but the police count and descriptions changed as officials gathered more information. The later figure of six missing was the most recent supplied by authorities.
Plaka sits near Hadrian's Arch and other major sites in central Athens. Its small streets normally draw large numbers of international visitors, particularly while the tourist season remains active. The location and the presence of short-term accommodation meant officials had to establish who was inside as well as clear debris.
Authorities had not declared the suspected gas leak a final finding by Friday night. The immediate priority remained locating the missing and securing the surrounding buildings. With the search continuing, casualty figures and details about those inside could still change as crews reached deeper sections of the collapsed structure.
