Four American citizens were among the six individuals who perished in Athens, Greece following an explosion that resulted in the structural collapse of a two-story edifice, according to US officials.
The blast occurred Friday morning in Plaka, a renowned tourist district situated in proximity to the historic Acropolis, dispersing debris across the surrounding area.
On Saturday, the US State Department officially confirmed the fatalities of the four Americans, attributing their deaths to a gas explosion.
Athens, Greece explosion: Six bodies retrieved
A representative of the Hellenic Fire Department informed ABC News that the remains of six people who had been reported missing following the explosion had been located and retrieved.
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Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle confirmed the deaths in a post on X, writing: “My thoughts and prayers are with the families and the loved ones of those killed and injured in this horrific incident. Our hearts are with them during this difficult time. I extend my deepest appreciation to the Greek first responders who worked tirelessly at the scene.”
Four American citizens killed in Greece identified: One woman was pregnant
Four American visitors have been identified as Florida Hoxha, her spouse Ian Alexander Kirkpatrick, her brother Florin Hoxha, and his wife Eris Tsani, also known as Erisa Cani.
{{/usCountry}}Four American visitors have been identified as Florida Hoxha, her spouse Ian Alexander Kirkpatrick, her brother Florin Hoxha, and his wife Eris Tsani, also known as Erisa Cani.
{{/usCountry}}Iefimerida.gr, an Athens-based news outlet, reported the identities of the victims, and The National Herald, a Greek-American outlet, corroborated them.
Florida Hoxha and Kirkpatrick were married. Florin Hoxha and Tsani were enjoying their honeymoon, according to reports. Family members said that Tsani was expecting a child, approximately three months into her pregnancy.
They were sating in a rental accommodation and had arrangements to depart for the US a few hours after the explosion. Their places of origin and respective ages have not been disclosed to the public.
Who were the other victims?
The remaining victims were identified as Edmond Hings, a 78-year-old citizen of the United Kingdom, and his 77-year-old spouse of Greek nationality, Athena Papaprescou, as reported by the media outlets.
Greek authorities said that a natural gas leak originating from an operational supply line situated on the second floor presumably triggered the explosion, as reported by iefimerida.gr. The investigative is still in progress.