Greek investigators believe an attempted copper theft caused the deadly gas explosion in Athens’ Plaka district on 25 September 2026, which killed six people. Police have arrested three men suspected of entering the three-storey building shortly before the blast and cutting a natural gas pipe while trying to steal copper tubing.
According to footage obtained by investigators, three men entered the building on Lysikratous Street a few hours before the explosion. Two of them reportedly went inside and entered an unlit stairwell, where they attempted to remove copper pipes. They later emerged running from the building, carrying a piece of copper pipe.
Investigators believe the men cut one of the natural gas supply pipes during the attempted theft, causing gas to leak into the building. The gas accumulated on the second floor, where an elderly couple lived. The explosion followed, killing six people.
The three suspects – two Greek nationals aged 34 and 37, and an Albanian national aged 55 – have been taken into police custody.
Investigators pinpoint source of gas leak
Read more: Warrants Target Three Men Over Deadly Plaka Gas Blast
From the outset, experienced officers from the Fire Crimes Investigation Directorate (DAEE) led the investigation in cooperation with court-appointed forensic experts.
Investigators reconstructed the gas meter and pipes from the rubble, examining the position of the components and their relationship to one another. This enabled them to identify the precise point where the gas leak began.
The investigation also drew on evidence obtained after authorities lifted the confidentiality of communications, as well as audiovisual footage from the area.
The DAEE worked with court-appointed experts, including electrical engineers and a chemist, alongside scientific staff from the National Technical University of Athens’ Laboratory of Metallography, within its Department of Metallurgy and Materials Technology.
Specialised NTUA laboratories identified the exact location of the leak and linked the suspected tampering to the fatal explosion.
School minibus carrying 12 children passes explosion site
Video footage obtained by Ta Nea shows a black minibus travelling along Lysikratous Street at the moment the powerful explosion occurred.
The vehicle was carrying 12 schoolchildren, who came dangerously close to the disaster. The children escaped unharmed as the explosion struck while the minibus was passing the scene.
Three suspects entered building hours before blast
Analysis of surveillance footage revealed that three men appeared outside the building a few hours before the explosion. Two entered the property, and the fatal blast followed later.
Investigators believe the men intended to steal copper. They reportedly travelled to the building along a route from Monastiraki through Stadiou Street and Syntagma before reaching Neos Kosmos.
Police say the three men have previously attracted the attention of authorities on several occasions.
The Fire Crimes Investigation Directorate is continuing the investigation. Prosecutors are expected to bring homicide charges against all three suspects.
(Source: AMNA)