Four American tourists among 6 killed in suspected gas leak blast in Athens

By AFP and AP. Published On 26 Sep 202626 Sep 2026.

Key points

• The Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini documented on Friday that the four tourists.
• The other two victims were reportedly an elderly couple, a British man and a Greek woman.
• Plaka lies at the foot of the Acropolis, Greece's most visited ancient monument.
• "The damage extends to the entire street as well as the street behind, " Doukas remarked.
• A Greek police spokeswoman confirmed on ERT that residents had created the report.

Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of six individuals killed in a building collapse after a a blast in the historic centre of Athens, Greece, according to local authorities.

Documents and belongings discovered with four of the victims – two men and two women – on Saturday indicated they were United States citizens, Greek state broadcaster ERT and other local media noted.

Meanwhile, the other two victims were reportedly an elderly couple, a British man and a Greek woman. This person lived on the building's second floor.

Two women were injured in an adjacent building, according to the fire department.

Meanwhile, the blast that brought down the small, two-storey building in the popular tourist district of Plaka on Friday was believed to have been caused by a major gas leak, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas remarked. Neighbouring buildings were damaged and evacuated, he remarked.

"The damage extends to the entire street as well as the street behind, " Doukas remarked. "We are talking about an unimaginable catastrophe."

Two adjoining buildings severely damaged might have to be demolished, he remarked.

For context, the Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini documented on Friday that the four tourists. This person were due to leave their accommodation at concerning 11: 00am (08: 00 GMT), failed to board their flight back to the US. Plaka residents issued warning.

Meanwhile, a group of Plaka residents had alerted the municipality and the managers of the electricity and gas networks regarding the risks of short circuits or gas leaks in the area a year ago.

In a letter published by Kathimerini, the group pressed the organisation of a security exercise to identify any potential shortcomings in the emergency response system.

Notably, the citizen movement "We Remain Active" additionally stated on social media that a resident of the street where the explosion occurred had noted a smell of gas for a number of weeks and had cautioned the authorities.

For context, a Greek police spokeswoman confirmed on ERT that residents had created the report. Nevertheless, the nature of the substance and its origin have not yet been determined.

In short, four American tourists among 6 killed in suspected gas leak blast in is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.