Explosion in a tourist district of Athens / At least three people were injured

An explosion that occurred on Friday in the historic Plaka district, in the tourist center of Athens, caused a two-story residential building to collapse and injured three people. The blast damaged homes, shops, and cars and hurled stones and shards of glass as far as three blocks away. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion.

Among the victims was a passerby. Two women who were trapped in a neighboring building were rescued by emergency crews and taken to hospital. Authorities did not immediately say whether any other people were still inside the affected building.

The explosion occurred near major tourist attractions, such as the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus, in an area with hotels, short-term rental properties, cafés, and souvenir shops. Part of the building was rented to tourists, and a police source said that at least five people were staying there.

Firefighters and ambulances responded immediately. The cause of the explosion was unknown, and authorities were to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.