Two American Holidaymakers Killed When Athens Building Blows Up

On Friday, a building collapse in Athens, Greece, killed an American couple following an explosion, according to officials. Four people are still unaccounted for, including an elderly British man and a Greek woman who lived together in the same apartment, in the historic Plaka district, below the Acropolis monument.

Greek authorities revealed that an American man and woman were living in an apartment designed for visitors, situated on the floor above street level, according to their account to reporters. The pair’s names were not disclosed at that point.

Rescue operation under way

Debris was being moved by mechanical diggers, and thermal-imaging cameras had been put into use as part of the rescue effort, as Agence France-Presse reported. Greece’s ANA news agency said more than 30 rescuers and three sniffer dogs were at the site.

A small, two-storey building was brought down by the explosion. Haris Doukas, the mayor of Athens, said it was probably caused by a gas leak.

“We are talking about an incredible disaster,” Doukas said. He added that damage had occurred along the street the building was in, as well as behind it.

Dangerous buildings nearby

Doukas said two nearby buildings were left in a dangerous state. Inspections were under way “to determine if they can remain standing or if they also have to be demolished.”

Warnings from residents

A year ago, the residents’ association published a letter in the Kathimerini newspaper detailing that locals in the Plaka neighbourhood had raised concerns with the city and utility companies about gas leaks and short circuits.

Residents had pushed for a fire drill so that any weaknesses in the district’s emergency response plans might be brought to light.

The neighbourhood and its landmark

The Plaka neighbourhood is one of Athens’s most popular tourist areas. The nearby Acropolis, one of Greece’s best-known landmarks, welcomed 4.6 million visitors last year.

The scale of the disaster

A building collapsed in one of Athens’s busiest tourist areas after the explosion, a place that draws crowds of both visitors and locals.

The residents’ warning

The Kathimerini published the residents’ association letter, which warned of gas leaks and short circuits.

The letter pressed for a fire drill to uncover any deficiencies in the district’s emergency response plans.

What happens next

The hunt for the missing individuals is still underway, with investigators continuing to probe the cause of the explosion.

The missing people

The four people missing included:

• An elderly British man
• A Greek woman who shared an apartment

What we know

1. Two American people died in the collapse
2. Four people are missing, including a British man and a Greek woman
3. The explosion was likely caused by a gas leak
4. Two nearby buildings are in a dangerous state
5. Residents warned about gas leaks a year ago

Now a scene of ruin, the Plaka district stands. Rescue workers search for the missing, while officials inspect the surrounding buildings.

The couple’s passing is a great sorrow for their loved ones and their circle of friends. The hunt for the missing pair goes on.

See the video the story is built around at CBS News.

Athens explosion · gas leak · rescue operation · tourists killed