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The alarm sounded at around 4:30 a.m. in central Nea Ionia after witnesses reported an explosion at the ground-floor cafe. The fire spread rapidly to the upper floors, sending residents fleeing the building in panic.<\/p>\n
Firefighters rushed to the scene and evacuated the three-storey building, which contains at least 16 apartments.<\/p>\n
According to the Fire Brigade, six people from the neighbouring floors required assistance to leave the building.<\/p>\n
A total of 18 firefighters attended the incident with five fire engines and a specialised ladder platform vehicle. Firefighters also rescued several residents who had become trapped on the rooftop.<\/p>\n
Initial witness accounts reported three explosions before a woman began shouting \u201cfire\u201d.<\/p>\n
One resident living on the third floor told Greek television channel MEGA that his wife woke him after noticing the fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe woke me up and told me there was a fire. It had filled with smoke, and the awning had caught fire. We could not breathe, even in the hallway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said his wife had heard explosions when she woke up but initially thought the sounds came from rubbish collection vehicles in the streets. The couple then began alerting other residents.<\/p>\n
Another resident said his wife woke him during the night after flames had already engulfed their balcony.<\/p>\n
He described the fire as spreading extremely quickly from the ground floor to the upper levels, with flames entering apartments.<\/p>\n
Residents also reported hearing a powerful blast shortly before the fire began. One woman said she heard a loud explosion and saw flames outside her window within seconds.<\/p>\n
According to her account, the fire had engulfed almost the entire building within around half an hour.<\/p>\n
Some residents escaped through the main entrance, while others fled to the rooftop because thick smoke prevented them from leaving through the building.<\/p>\n
Firefighters subsequently rescued those residents from the rooftop and led them safely to nearby areas.<\/p>\n
The cafe had also been the scene of a shooting incident three years ago, when a fight involving gunfire occurred at the premises.<\/p>\n
The Athens Arson Crimes Investigation Unit has launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.<\/p>\n
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