The death toll from the building collapse in Plaka has risen to six after rescue crews recovered the final two bodies being sought in the rubble.
Firefighters found the two bodies at around 2pm on Saturday, 26 September, bringing to an end a difficult search and rescue operation that began after a powerful explosion caused the building to collapse on Friday morning.
The first body, that of a woman, was recovered at around 2am on Saturday. The body of a man was found later in the morning, followed by two more bodies at around 1pm. An hour later, crews from Greece’s Disaster Response Special Unit (EMAK) located the final two victims.
According to preliminary findings by the authorities, the explosion that caused the collapse is believed to have been linked to a natural gas leak, although the exact cause remains under investigation.
A total of 30 firefighters and six vehicles were deployed during the operation, including two specialist rescue vehicles from the 1st EMAK unit and three search-and-rescue dogs.
Rescue teams used specialised listening devices and cameras to search for people who may have been trapped beneath the rubble.
The City of Athens assisted the Fire Service by providing heavy machinery to remove debris, while Greek police, emergency medical service ambulances and a team from the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes remained at the scene as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the explosion continued.
The explosion occurred shortly after 7.30am on Friday, 25 September, causing the building to collapse and extensive damage to neighbouring properties and parked vehicles.
Read more:
Third body found in rubble after Plaka building collapse (updated)
