Plaka: explosion cause probed, victims being identified

On Sunday 27 September 2026, two days after the explosion that brought down an apartment block on Lysicrates Street in Plaka and one day after the confirmation of six deaths, as has already been recorded in the confirmation of the six deaths, the investigation enters a new phase. Attention now turns to the search for the cause that led to the collapse of the building, as well as to the process of identifying the victims which is ongoing. According to press reports, no cause has been officially confirmed so far, nor has any responsibility been attributed to any specific person, company or organization.

As protothema.gr reports, the authorities are examining the possibility of a natural gas leak as a probable cause of the explosion, with the focus of the investigation on the second-floor apartment of the building. According to the same press report, this is one of the scenarios being examined, but this does not constitute an official finding or definitive conclusion regarding the cause of the incident. In this context, inspections and technical checks are expected to be carried out at the building, with the aim of determining the condition of the installations and gathering information that will help clarify the circumstances of the explosion. These checks are expected to provide a clearer picture of the causes; however, until they are completed, no scenario can be considered confirmed or ruled out.

Meanwhile, according to press reports from in.gr and newsbomb.gr, families of victims are arriving in Greece to participate in the process of identifying via DNA testing. This is an established forensic procedure, which is followed in incidents with multiple victims when visual identification is not feasible or sufficient, and requires the collection of biological material from both bodies and relatives, so that comparison and definitive identification of each victim becomes possible. This procedure is conducted with the assistance of specialized laboratories and follows strict scientific protocols, a fact that means the results are not immediate but are announced gradually, as the corresponding laboratory analyses are completed for each case separately.

The coming period is expected to show whether the inspections at the building and the technical checks will lead to more specific conclusions regarding the cause of the explosion, as well as whether the DNA identification process will be completed for all the victims. Until Sunday 27 September 2026 there has been no official announcement from any competent authority confirming the cause of the incident, nor has responsibility been attributed to any specific person, company or operator of the natural gas network. The scenario of a gas leak remains, according to press reports so far, one of the scenarios being examined and not a confirmed conclusion. Further information is expected once official announcements are made by the competent authorities.