British Pensioner Missing After Athens Building Explosion

Fears are growing for a British pensioner, 77, who was last seen on the balcony of an Athens building that was destroyed by an explosion on Friday. The blast, believed to have been caused by a gas leak, destroyed a two-story building in the historic Plaka district, near major tourist sites like the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus.

The British man and his wife, a 78-year-old woman, lived on the second floor of the building and have not been accounted for since the explosion. Neighbors reported seeing the couple on their balcony shortly before the incident.

The explosion occurred around 7:35 a.m. Friday, followed by a fire that gutted the structure. Fire officials suspect a gas leak in the second-floor supply line, but a full investigation is pending the completion of the search for survivors.

Rescuers recovered the body of a woman from the wreckage early Saturday morning. She was found unconscious in the ground-floor apartment, which had been rented short-term by four guests. She was pronounced dead at Elpis Hospital. Another body was recovered later from the same apartment. The rented space was booked by a 37-year-old man, Mr. Ian, and travel documents for a 40-year-old man, Mr. Florin, were found at the scene. All four American guests had booked return flights to the U.S. that they did not board.

Approximately 30 firefighters, supported by six vehicles including two specialist units and three search dogs, continue to work at the scene. A large excavator is carefully removing debris to avoid further collapse, as the adjacent buildings and ground are unstable, according to Athens Mayor Haris Doukas.

Shortly after the initial explosion, firefighters rescued two female tourists from a neighboring building on the same street. They were transported to the hospital by ambulance.