{
  "id": 9760226,
  "title": "Explosion fells building in heart of touristic Athens, three injured",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/explosion-fells-building-in-heart-of-touristic-athens-three-injured",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-25T12:06:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-25-explosion-fells-building-in-heart-of-touristic-athens-three-injured/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An explosion in Athens' historic Plaka district on Friday caused a residential building to collapse, injuring three people and damaging nearby structures. The blast, near major tourist attractions like the Acropolis and Temple of Zeus, sent debris as far as three blocks away. Smoke engulfed the area as emergency services arrived on the scene. Police spokeswoman Constantina Dimoglidou stated the fire brigade was still investigating the cause of the blast. The impacted two-story building was left in ruins, with twisted metal, broken balconies, and hanging concrete slabs. Local resident Andreas Martzaklis described the extent of the damage, saying, \"That's how strong it was - the whole building, the whole block blew off.\" One passer-by was injured, while two women trapped in an adjacent building were rescued and received medical attention. The neighborhood is popular with tourists, featuring hotels, short-term rentals, cafes, and shops selling souvenirs. A police source confirmed that at least five people lived in the building, some of whom were rented out to tourists. It remains unclear if others were trapped during the incident.",
  "summary": "An explosion caused a residential building to collapse in the crowded touristic centre of Athens on Friday, injuring three people and damaging houses, shops and cars across a historic neighbourhood.",
  "key_points": [
    "Explosion in Athens' Plaka district collapses residential building",
    "Three people injured, debris spreads three blocks",
    "Police investigate cause of blast near Acropolis and Temple of Zeus"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "One injured after gas explosion in central Athens caused a building to partially collapse",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/one-injured-after-gas-explosion-in-central-athens-caused-a-building",
        "published": "2026-09-25T06:28:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Building in central Athens collapses after explosion, two women rescued",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/building-in-central-athens-collapses-after-explosion-two-women-rescued",
        "published": "2026-09-25T06:56:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Sky News",
        "title": "Powerful explosion in Athens destroys building near Acropolis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/powerful-explosion-in-athens-destroys-building-near-acropolis",
        "published": "2026-09-25T08:11:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}