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Greece arrests three over explosion that killed six people in Athens

By Thomson Reuters Oct 30, 2026 | 2:50 AM

ATHENS, Oct 30 (Reuters) – Greece has arrested two Greek men and an Albanian ​national suspected of stealing ‌copper gas pipes from a building, causing a leak that led to a deadly explosion ‌in ​central Athens last ⁠month, authorities said.

Six ⁠people were killed during the September 25 blast in the tourist district of Plaka, ​four Americans among them.

Following an investigation, experts with ⁠the fire ⁠brigade’s crime investigation unit ​concluded that hours before the ​blast the suspects damaged the ‌two-storey building’s main natural gas supply infrastructure as they removed the copper pipe parts, ⁠fire brigade officials said late on Thursday.

The explosion occurred early in ⁠the ‌morning when one of ⁠the residents turned ​the ‌light on.

The suspects are ​expected to ⁠appear before a prosecutor on Friday.

(Reporting by Yannis Souliotis and Angeliki Koutantou; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by ​Alison Williams)