Plaka: building collapsed after explosion on Lysikratous Street

A powerful explosion occurred early on the morning of Friday, September 25 in an old two-storey building on Lysikratous Street in Plaka, in the historic centre of Athens. According to reports from more than a dozen independent news outlets, the incident took place between 07:30 and 07:45 and the building collapsed completely, followed by a small-scale fire. The blast, as reported, was heard across a wider part of central Athens. The falling debris caused damage to parked vehicles and neighbouring buildings in the area.

Fire Service personnel responded to the scene, with reports indicating between 12 and 24 firefighters, depending on the source, supported by six vehicles, while the first Specialized Disaster Response Unit (EMAK) also participated in the operation. As for the toll on citizens, sources do not fully align: some report one injured person, while others mention three citizens affected in total, counting together the injured passerby and two women who were rescued from a neighbouring building. The most accurate picture, based on cross-referencing the sources, is one injured passerby from falling debris and two women who were rescued from an adjacent building. Interior Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, speaking to SKAI radio station, stated: “We don’t know if there are people trapped inside. From the photographs that officials at the scene are sending me, we can see that there are no longer any building floors.”

The incident occurred in one of Athens’ most densely built and frequently visited historic neighbourhoods, where old, often two-storey buildings stand closely together alongside pedestrian streets traversed daily by residents, professionals, and visitors. The complete collapse of a building in such a setting underscores the issue of age and the condition of infrastructure—such as natural gas installations and electrical networks—in neighbourhoods with protected architectural heritage, where maintenance interventions are often limited by urban planning and archaeological regulations. The damage to neighbouring buildings and vehicles, as recorded on the morning of Friday, also serves as a reminder of the risks that can arise in densely populated areas of the historic centre from a single incident of this type.

A natural gas installation is being examined as a possible cause of the incident, according to the Interior Minister, although this has not been officially confirmed. An Investigation Unit for Arson has been activated to investigate the causes of the explosion, and is expected to conduct an inspection at the site to determine with certainty what caused the incident. To date, no official statement has been issued by either the Fire Service or the Hellenic Police, and both the exact cause of the collapse and the full extent of material damage to surrounding buildings remain unclear. Further information is expected to be provided later in the day as authorities continue to assess the situation on Lysikratous Street. For more news from the area, see news from Athens and the full coverage of Attica.