At least two people have been rescued following the explosion in Athens, Greece, on Friday, Sept. 25

NEED TO KNOW

• An explosion caused a building to collapse in Athens, Greece, near the Acropolis landmark, on Friday, Sept. 25
• The victims reportedly included an American family of four and a British man with his Greek wife
• Officials suspect a gas leak caused the explosion, but investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause

At least six people have died, including four Americans, after an explosion in Greece.

The incident happened in the tourist district of Plaka in Athens, Greece — located near the city’s historic Acropolis landmark — shortly before 8 a.m. local time on Friday, Sept. 25, said Chief Fire Officer Vasilios Vathrakoyannis of the Greek fire brigade in a translated release.

Vathrakoyannis said a two-story house on Lysikratous Street collapsed following an explosion, and firefighters pulled out six “unconscious” people from the building who were rushed to nearby hospitals. 

Following reports of the smell of gas in the area, the Arson Crimes Division and Enaon EDA, the primary natural gas distribution network operator in Greece, also responded to the scene.

The six bodies recovered from the ruins are believed to be three women and three men, CBS News and The New York Times reported, citing officials.

Among the victims is an American family of four — a couple, their son and his girlfriend, per the NYT — who had been renting an apartment on the first floor of the property and were scheduled to depart Athens and return to the U.S. hours later, Greek news outlet the Kathimerini reported.

An elderly British man and his Greek wife who lived on the second floor of the building were also killed, per CBS News, which cited Greece’s state broadcaster ERT.

Two additional women were rescued from an adjacent building and were also transported to the hospital, the outlet reported, citing the Greek fire brigade. Firefighters used equipment for detecting sounds, cameras and rescue dogs to search for any survivors in the rubble, officials said.

Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said the blast was likely caused by a gas leak, per CBS News.

“The sequence of the explosion, fire and collapse of the building is being examined in order to determine the causes,” Vathrakoyannis said in a statement.

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PEOPLE has reached out to the Greek fire brigade for comment on the incident.

Enaon EDA also said in a statement that it would be investigating the fatal explosion.

“The damage extends along the entire street as well as the street behind the building,” Doukas told the press of the incident, per Deutsche Welle (DW). “We are talking about an incredible disaster.”

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