5 missing after explosion collapses building in historic heart of Athens

The five missing people are believed to have been staying on the first and second floors of the building,. Members of emergency personnel work at the site where an old building collapsed following an explosion, in the Plaka area, which is popular with tourists, in central Athens, Greece, September 25, 2026.

REUTERSRead More:Fatal crash takes suspicious turn. An elderly couple was believed to have been living on the second floor, while three tourists, possibly Americans, were staying in short-term rental accommodation on the first floor, the department.

It was not immediately known whether they were inside the building when the explosion occurred. “There are missing persons. This is a very complex situation, and the search is in full progress,” Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said after arriving at the scene.

Drones were also being used to assess the situation, while municipal services remained at the scene to assess damage to neighboring buildings, Doukas said. Asked about the cause of the explosion, Doukas explained: “I understand that it was caused by gas, and the force of the explosion was terrifying.

This means that there was a very serious fault. Something went completely wrong,” he said. Police officers and ambulances from Greece’s National Centre for Emergency Care were also at the scene.

Construction machinery provided by the Municipality of Athens was being used to remove debris from the collapsed building.