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Four American Tourists Among Six Dead as Last Bodies Recovered From Athens Plaka Blast

Courtroom-sketch editorial illustration of an archival 2016 view down Lysikratous Street in Athens' Plaka district toward Hadrian's Arch, balconied buildings, trees, cars and pedestrians; street context for the September 2026 building collapse, not the blast or the rescue itself, rendered in warm ochre and slate-blue pastel strokes.

Rescuers on September 26 recovered the last two bodies from the building on Lysikratous Street in Athens' Plaka district that collapsed after an explosion the previous morning, bringing the death toll to six. The dead were four American tourists staying in a short-term rental on the first floor and an elderly couple on the second floor, a 78-year-old British man and his 77-year-old Greek wife. The Fire Service said crews worked through the night under its post-earthquake collapse protocol. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said a gas leak was the likely cause, and arson investigators are examining the sequence of explosion, fire and collapse under a prosecutor's direction.

Sources

fireservice.grOpens in a new tab.Secondary sources:1234

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