Plaka Explosion: Gas Leak Suspected as Death Toll Rises to Six
A devastating explosion in Plaka, Athens, has claimed the lives of six people, leaving authorities scrambling to determine the cause.
The victims were two elderly residents of a second-floor apartment and four renters on the first floor. The latter were three siblings, Florin Hoxha, Eris Çani, and their spouses Ian Alexander Kirkpatrick and Florinda Hoxha, all of Albanian origin with American citizenship.
The main scenario being investigated by authorities is a gas leak from the second-floor apartment's independent natural gas installation. The elderly couple used this system for heating and cooking.
Investigators have found sections of piping, but the boiler has not been located among the rubble yet. They suspect that the leak may have occurred overnight, allowing gas to accumulate and reach an explosive concentration. A simple spark could have triggered the blast.