Investigations into the deadly explosion in the Plaka neighborhood of Athens that killed 6 people, 3 of whom were of Albanian origin, have also revealed the cause of the incident.
After a 34-day investigation under the supervision of the prosecutor's office, 2 Greeks and 1 Albanian were identified and arrested, accused of sabotaging the natural gas pipes supplying the building, with the aim of stealing their copper. It was this act that caused the deadly explosion.
According to the Greek newspaper Protothema , information gathered revealed that a few hours before the explosion, three men approached the building with the intention of committing a robbery. Two forced their way into the building and tried to remove the pipes. During their attempt, they cut one of the natural gas supply pipes, which caused the gas to leak.
Natural gas was released into the space, accumulating on the second floor where the elderly couple lived, and at some point, when the woman got up and perhaps turned a switch, the explosion occurred.
According to what was captured by security cameras, flames from the explosion can be seen on both the upper and ground floors, and this is because the entire space was filled with natural gas. A black van seen in the photo is a school van that, miraculously, passed by shortly before the building blew up. ©LAPSI.al
