What to know as British man dies in house explosion near the Acropolis in Athens

An elderly Briton is among six dead after a building collapsed in a blast in Athens, Greece, near the ancient Acropolis. The British man, 78, and his Greek wife, 77, who lived on the second storey of the building, were found dead in the rubble after the explosion on Friday morning in the Greek capital’s tourist district of Plaka. An American family of four visiting the country was also killed. The tourists – a couple, their son and his girlfriend – were due to check out and catch a flight at 3pm on Friday, but the family did not show, a police official said. Three people also reported injuries following the explosion that damaged nearby houses, shops and cars. The identities of the victims have not yet been confirmed by officials. Rescue operation continues Rescuers worked through Friday night, using mechanical diggers and thermal-imaging cameras to retrieve the bodies. Search operations, involving 30 firefighters and three dogs, continue for other possible victims, authorities said on Saturday. Police, giving an update on the rescue operation, said the building had been reduced to a mass of rubble, twisted metal and hanging concrete slabs. The blast reportedly shook the area, which is normally busy with foreign visitors. The surrounding area includes some of the Greek capital’s most-visited sites, including the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus. Other affected buildings have been evacuated while an inspection is under way to determine if their structure can be salvaged without demolition. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said the blast was an “unbelievable disaster” and confirmed officials believed the explosion was “triggered by… a very significant gas leak”. Police say the building has been reduced to a mass of rubble, twisted metal and hanging concrete slabs (Photo: Costas Baltas/Getty) “It [rescue operation] is not easy as the biggest part of the building has collapsed and there is risk for adjacent buildings which have been evacuated for security reasons,” police spokeswoman Constantina Dimoglidou told public broadcaster ERT. Mathaios Artavanis, the owner of the ground-floor apartment, told the Kathimerini newspaper that he was out at the time of the blast and had tried to contact the British-Greek couple who lived above him, without success. Video footage from the scene showed rubble strewn across the street, with parked cars smashed by falling debris. The people rescued by the fire department from the adjacent building were all tourists, resident Andreas Martzaklis said. The pastor of a nearby church said that this Sunday’s service would be held outdoors because of damage to the church. Officials previously warned Residents in the Plaka neighbourhood had a year ago warned the city and utility companies about the risk of gas leaks or short-circuits, according to a letter by the residents’ association, published by Kathimerini. A social media citizens’ group said a resident of the affected street had earlier alerted authorities after smelling a possible gas leak. A spokesman for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are aware of a suspected explosion in Athens and are in touch with the local authorities. We stand ready to offer assistance to British nationals abroad 24/7.”