Newlywed Couple, Brother, and Girlfriend Among Four Americans Killed in Athens Building Collapse
A tragic explosion in Greece claimed the lives of four Americans, including a couple celebrating their recent marriage and the bride's brother with his pregnant partner, as their family grapples with the devastating loss.
Four American citizens, including a newlywed couple, the bride's brother, and his pregnant girlfriend, have been identified as victims of a catastrophic explosion that leveled an Airbnb building in Athens, Greece. The incident occurred Friday morning in the Plaka district.
The deceased were identified as Florida Hoxha, 34, her husband Ian Kirkpatrick, 37, her brother Florin Hoxha, 36, and Florin's longtime partner, Eris Cani, 39, who was five months pregnant.
The group had been on vacation in Athens. Florida and Ian had married just 25 days prior to the incident, having celebrated their union with family. They had recently returned from a mini-moon in Mexico.
Florida's brother, Florin, and his partner, Eris, were expecting their first child, a daughter, in the coming months. Eris was a clinical infectious diseases pharmacist and an Assistant Professor at Touro College of Pharmacy.
Florida was a senior attorney at NILAG, a nonprofit organization, where she dedicated her legal career to assisting those with limited means. She also played a role in supporting the Albanian-American community and served as president of Albanian Professional Entrepreneurs Networking. Ian Kirkpatrick was the Vice President of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and had been learning Albanian to communicate with Florin and Florida's relatives.
Florin Hoxha, alongside his brother Klajd Hoxha, co-founded the Westchester-based construction company Prufrock Builders.
The four Americans were scheduled to fly home to New York on Friday afternoon. Their brother, Klajd, learned of the tragedy after contacting Delta Air Lines, which confirmed they had not boarded their flight.
Klajd and other family members, including his parents and Eris's parents, had been en route to Greece. Upon learning of the confirmation of fatalities, Klajd expressed profound grief and disbelief. "I went to the bathroom for ten minutes... I just said, regretfully, I hate you, God. I can't believe you're doing this to me," he recounted.
The US Embassy in Greece provided consular assistance and support to the families. US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle expressed her condolences, stating, "My thoughts and prayers are with the families and the loved ones of those killed and injured in this horrific incident."
Klajd praised the embassy's support, describing them as "unbelievable and so helpful and so caring and so human."
Local authorities are investigating the explosion, which is believed to have been caused by a gas leak on the second floor of the building. Reports suggest there may have been a gas odor for some time. The investigation is ongoing, with officials examining the debris to determine the exact cause. The building's second floor, where a British national and his Greek wife, Edmond Hinks and Athena Papareskou, resided, is believed to be the origin point of the blast, as it was the only floor with an active natural gas supply.
Approximately 30 firefighters and emergency units responded to the scene, working to clear the rubble. Two women in a neighboring building were rescued and taken to the hospital.
Klajd, who remains in Athens, stated that the bodies of the four Americans have been recovered and the family is awaiting clearance to bring them home. He emphasized that while grief is multifaceted, the family is not focused on blame but seeking answers and peace regarding the incident. "We just want a little bit of peace as to what has happened exactly. It's devastating, truly," he said.