State Department says gas blast killed four Americans in Athens

Four Americans were among six people killed when an explosion brought down a residential building in the Plaka district of Athens on Friday morning, U.S. and Greek officials said. The U.S. State Department said the four deaths were the result of a gas explosion.

Rescuers recovered six bodies from the rubble on Saturday, authorities said. The fire department said the bodies were found in the wreckage of the two-story house on Lysikratous Street, in the historic quarter at the foot of the Acropolis, Greece's most visited ancient monument. The explosion also damaged neighboring buildings, which were evacuated.

Documents and belongings found with four of the victims, two men and two women, identified them as U.S. citizens, Greek state broadcaster ERT and other local media reported. Greek authorities did not immediately give their identities, their ages or where in the United States they came from. The four had been staying in a short-term rental in the building.

State Department confirms four American deaths

The State Department confirmed the deaths on Saturday, a day after the building collapsed, and said the blast was a gas explosion. A spokesperson offered condolences to the family and loved ones of the victims.

Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, announced the deaths in a post on X on Saturday. The embassy is working with the families, she said. Greek fire crews had spent much of Friday and Saturday digging through the collapsed building in one of Athens' most popular tourist areas.

I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of four American citizens in yesterday's explosion in central Athens. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and the loved ones of those killed and injured in this horrific incident. Our hearts are with them during this difficult time. I extend my deepest appreciation to the Greek first responders who worked tirelessly at the scene. The U.S. Embassy is providing consular assistance and support to the victims' families.

Firefighters had been searching for an elderly couple who lived in one apartment and four tourists staying in another, fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said in a televised briefing as crews removed debris. The Hellenic Fire Service said on Friday that five people were unaccounted for, an elderly couple and three tourists thought to be American. It was not then known whether the tourists were inside when the explosion happened.

Two women were injured in an adjacent building on Lysikratous Street, fire brigades said. They were taken by ambulance to Georgios Gennimatas General Hospital. A third person, a pedestrian, suffered minor injuries from flying debris.

Four tourists were due to fly home Friday

The four Americans were two men and two women believed to be two couples. The New York Times reported that the U.S. family was composed of a couple, their son and his girlfriend. They had rented an apartment on the first floor of the building, which was let through Airbnb.

The family was preparing to go to the airport hours later on Friday for the return flight to the United States when the blast occurred, the Kathimerini newspaper reported. The two couples had been expected to catch a flight from Athens airport at 3 p.m. but never showed up, a police source told Reuters. The first-floor apartment was scheduled for checkout at 11 a.m. that morning, Argophilia Travel News reported.

The two other people killed were an elderly British man and his Greek wife, who lived on the second floor, Greece's state broadcaster ERT reported. The ground-floor apartment was empty at the time of the explosion. Rescuers concentrated on the debris of the upper floor and moved with particular caution because the collapse had left the structure unstable, Protothema reported.

The blast tore through the building at 15 Lysikratous Street, near its junction with Amalias Avenue, at about 7:35 a.m. on Friday and was followed by a fire, Protothema reported. The structure had a basement, an unoccupied ground floor and two upper floors. Residents described the noise of the blast as deafening. Police, firefighters and ambulances from the National Emergency Aid Centre were sent to the scene.

Investigators examine a suspected gas leak

The explosion was believed to have been caused by a major gas leak, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said. Authorities were investigating the cause after reports of a gas smell in the area, and initial information indicated that gas installations were located on the second floor, according to Protothema.

Its intensity was terrifying, which means there was a very serious fault. Something went completely wrong.

A co-owner of the first-floor rental said the apartment had no natural gas supply and no propane or LPG cylinders, Protothema reported. The Athens Arson Crimes Investigation Team cordoned off the area for forensic work to determine what triggered the blast, closing streets across the historic center.

Two nearby buildings were left in a dangerous state, Doukas said, with inspections underway to determine whether they can remain standing or have to be demolished. City engineers and civil protection staff stayed at the site to check the load-bearing capacity of adjoining buildings. Local media reported that a neighboring building dating from 1880 may be declared unsafe.

The blast destroyed the building and damaged nearby homes, shops and vehicles, sending rubble and shattered glass as far as three blocks away, Reuters reported. At least eight parked cars were hit, according to Protothema. Video from the scene showed debris strewn across the street and cars crushed under falling debris. The destroyed building was reduced to twisted metal, broken tiles and concrete, with clothing and household belongings scattered among the wreckage.

Six bodies pulled from the rubble Saturday

Rescuers combing the rubble of the collapsed building in Plaka recovered six bodies on Saturday, the fire department said, a day after the building came down. The search-and-rescue operation involved 30 firefighters and three dogs, and crews also used cameras and sensors to comb through the debris. Specialist crews from EMAK, the fire service's disaster response unit, took part.

• Four Americans, two men and two women, were among the six dead
• The two other victims were an elderly British man and his Greek wife
• The State Department said the blast was a gas explosion
• Thirty firefighters and three dogs searched the rubble on Lysikratous Street
• Two women were injured in an adjacent building

Mechanical diggers moved debris at the site on Saturday and thermal-imaging cameras were deployed, AFP reporters saw. Drones surveyed the wreckage during the first hours of the search, and machinery supplied by the City of Athens cleared rubble from the street. Twenty-four firefighters and six fire vehicles were sent in the initial response, Argophilia Travel News reported.

The owner of the building's ground-floor apartment, Matthaios Artavanis, said he learned of the explosion from the news and recognized his building in photographs, Protothema reported. He said he tried to reach the couple who lived upstairs, without success, and that the husband had limited mobility.

I was worried about the couple, who are friends. I called them at 8am but got no answer. The landline said there was a technical fault and the mobile was switched off.

All of those rescued from the neighboring building were tourists, resident Andreas Martzaklis told the Associated Press. The pastor of a nearby church said Sunday's service would be held outdoors because the church had been damaged in the explosion.

Residents had warned about gas risks

Locals in Plaka warned the city and utility companies in October 2025 about the risk of gas leaks or short circuits, according to a letter from the residents' association published by Kathimerini. The residents had urged a fire drill to identify possible weaknesses in the emergency response plans for the district.

A citizens' group said on social media that one resident in the street where the explosion happened had alerted authorities after smelling a possible gas leak. Investigators are treating a natural gas leak as the primary line of inquiry, following reports of a gas smell in the area, and the cause has not been formally established.

Plaka is one of Athens' most popular tourist areas, the historic quarter at the foot of the Acropolis, which welcomed 4.6 million visitors in 2025. Greek authorities have not released the names of the six people killed. The investigation into the blast is continuing.