The collapse of the building from an explosion in Athens – 6 dead, among the victims 3 Albanians, two of them brother and sister
tidings
Express Newspaper
26/09/2026 22:21
A powerful explosion shook the area of Plaka in Athens on Friday morning, causing the collapse of a two-story building and a tragic death toll of six. Among the people who lost their lives are three Albanians, while the Greek authorities are continuing the investigation to determine the exact cause of the explosion.
According to Greek media, the three Albanians who lost their lives are Florida Hoxha, Florin Hoxha and Eris Cani. Florida and Florin Hoxha were brother and sister.
Among the victims is Florida’s husband, Ian Alexander Kirkpatrick, an American citizen. The other two victims are Edmond Hings and Athina Papapresku, who were reportedly the owners of the building.
The explosion happened just before 07:30 on Friday morning on Lysikratous Street, one of the busiest and most visited areas of Athens. The force of the explosion caused a part of the building to collapse and the people inside were trapped under the rubble.
After long hours of search and rescue operation, Greek emergency teams managed to recover the bodies of all six people. The last two bodies were pulled from the wreckage on Saturday around 1:30 p.m., confirming the tragic balance of the event.
Three Albanians among the victims
The death of three Albanians has made the balance of the tragedy even more serious. Florida and Florin Hoxha, brother and sister, were in the building at the time of the explosion. Eris Cani also lost his life with them.
Florida Hoxha was married to American citizen Ian Alexander Kirkpatrick. The couple had traveled to Greece and were in the Plaka area when the fatal explosion occurred.
The main suspicions are related to the gas leak
The Greek authorities’ main lead remains a possible gas leak, but the final cause has yet to be determined. Experts are analyzing the scene and the evidence collected to find out what caused the explosion and the collapse of the building.
The explosion did not affect only the building where the event took place. Considerable damage was also reported in the surrounding buildings, while the windows of some buildings were broken and vehicles parked near the scene were damaged.
An adjacent building was also affected by the blast, while firefighters managed to rescue two women from it, who suffered minor injuries. A bystander was injured by rocks and debris that were thrown after the blast.
Some of the buildings near the scene sustained serious damage and are being checked by authorities to determine if they are still safe and habitable.
Search and rescue operation
About 30 firefighters participated in the search and rescue operation, supported by trained search dogs, special cameras and equipment for detecting voices under the rubble.
Emergency crews worked for hours in difficult conditions, carefully searching the wreckage of the building to find the people suspected to be inside.
With the extraction of the last two bodies on Saturday around 13:30, the operation to find six trapped people ended with a tragic balance: six victims, three of them Albanians.
