Victim killed as suspected gas explosion levels Athens building near the Acropolis

From the Newshound archive · first published 25 September 2026 · last updated 28 September 2026.

Four US tourists — two brothers and their wives who were due to fly home on Friday — died after a suspected gas leak brought down a two-storey apartment block in Athens' historic Plaka district in seconds. A British man and his Greek wife, both in their 70s, who lived on the upper floor were also killed, bringing the death toll to six. Greek authorities are investigating what caused the building to collapse so rapidly, with thermal cameras, search dogs and heavy machinery deployed through the night.

The four Americans had been occupying a ground-floor short-term rental and were identified through personal documents recovered from the rubble.

Athens mayor Haris Doukas said a massive gas leak is believed to have caused the blast, though no gas smell was reported before the explosion.

A neighbouring building on Lysikratous Street, near the Hadrian's Gate monument, yielded two female survivors, as 30 firefighters and three rescue teams worked the scene.