One dead and five missing after explosion destroys building close to Acropolis in Athens

At least one person has died and five more are missing after an explosion destroyed a building in the historic centre of Athens.

Key points

• The explosion happened on a small road situated between two of Athens' most visited sites – the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
• Four American tourists, one British national and a Greek national are remarked to the residents involved – though that has not been confirmed by authorities.
• The tourists were confirmed to be missing when they did not arrive for their flight at Athens airport, Reuters news agency documented citing local police.
• The body of a woman was discovered on Saturday morning, with the search ongoing.
• Pictures from the scene indicated emergency service workers searching through the rubble, with a gas leak suspected as the cause of the blast.

In practice, the blast happened in the Plaka area of the Greek capital, a neighbourhood close to tourist sites such as the Acropolis, with local media reporting the building housed a holiday rental.

Notably, the body of a woman was discovered on Saturday morning, with the search ongoing.

For context, the tourists were confirmed to be missing when they did not arrive for their flight at Athens airport, Reuters news agency documented citing local police.

Meanwhile, the three-storey building completely collapsed due to the force of the blast, with neighbouring buildings damaged and debris scattered throughout the road.

Excavators and thermal imaging cameras have been applied at the scene to search for survivors.

For context, the explosion happened on a small road situated between two of Athens' most visited sites – the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. BBC News has contacted the UK Foreign Office.

For now, one dead and five missing after explosion destroys building close to Acropolis remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.