British man and Greek wife killed after explosion destroys building in Athens

You are about to be charged £0.00* *Your gift has been applied Thank you for subscribing! British man and Greek wife killed after explosion destroys building in Athens The blast near some of the Greek capital's most popular sites sent rocks and broken glass flying as far as three streets away The fearless champion of Britain, its voices and its values. Join the fight for free speech and fearless journalism. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Community Rules. Don't Miss Most Read Latest A British expat and his wife are believed to be among six people killed after an explosion in Athens. Fire crews pulled two bodies out of the rubble at around 1pm local time after the blast in Plaka near some of the Greek capital's most popular sites. The bodies of a man and a young woman were found as rescuers removed debris from the building which was reduced to a mess of twisted metal, shattered tiles and concrete slabs, the fire brigade official said. Household items and clothing were strewn amid the debris. Police spokeswoman Constantina Dimoglidou told reporters: "[The 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." The tourists, two American couples, were expected to check out to catch a flight from Athens airport at 3pm on Friday but didn't show up, a police source said. It was not immediately clear what caused the blast in an area which is home to many hotels and short-term rentals. Athens mayor Haris Doukas said on Friday it was likely linked to gas infrastructure, adding: "Something went terribly wrong." The explosion rocked through the Greek capital | REUTERSA Foreign Office spokesman told GB News: "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." Panagiotis-Paris Harlafti, deputy mayor in Athens, told The Sun: "Now that the victims have been found, the operation will turn to the cause and discovering what triggered the explosion. "It could have been a gas leak, it could have been something else, even an explosive device, but we will only be sure in due course. All the bodies have been taken to the morgue where post mortems will be conducted." Part of the adjacent building collapsed |REUTERS One worker in the area told local media she noticed a strong smell of gas before the explosion. She said: "Smoke came out, I saw the building collapsing in front of me. All the windows were broken. There was a grandmother inside, but she got up and escaped. "The police came and took us out. The bang was loud, we weren’t hit, we escaped. "It smelled like LPG, like gas and there was smoke. I saw a grandfather down at the entrance who had hit his head." According to local media, 30 firefighters with six vehicles, including two special rescue vehicles as well as three search and rescue dogs, were involved in the search operation. The blast at 15 Lysikratous Street shook the capital’s tourist district of Plaka at around 7.35 am local time. The scene of the incident is located close to some of the main tourist attractions in Athens, including the Arch of Hadrian and the Acropolis.