A year ago, they warned of gas; on Friday, the building fell.

At the foot of the Acropolis, in the historic Plaka district where tourists wander cobblestone streets and couples pose for photographs against ancient marble, a three-story building stood for decades as an unremarkable neighbor. On Friday morning, just after 7:30, it collapsed. A powerful explosion—believed to have been caused by a major gas leak—ripped through the structure, sending rubble across the street and crushing parked cars beneath falling debris . By Saturday, rescuers had recovered six bodies from the ruins. Sometimes the most ordinary mornings end in the most extraordinary grief.

The victims were identified through documents and belongings found with them. Four were American citizens—two couples who had been renting an apartment on the first floor and were expected to check in for a flight from Athens airport but never arrived . One of the women was reportedly pregnant . The other two victims were an elderly British man and his Greek wife, who lived on the second floor of the building .

The search operation involved 30 firefighters, three dogs, and thermal cameras. Cameras and sensors were used to locate the bodies amid the unstable rubble . Two women in an adjacent building were injured and taken to hospital, and a passerby sustained minor injuries from debris . Neighboring buildings were damaged and evacuated, and the pastor of a nearby church said Sunday's service would be held outdoors because the church itself had been damaged .

Athens Mayor Haris Doukas called it "an incredible disaster" . Fire investigators have been called in to examine the exact cause of the gas leak, and experts are studying witness statements, video footage, building materials, and evidence from pipes and utility fixtures . Fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said the point of greatest explosive force appeared to have been on the second floor .

What makes the tragedy more painful is the warning that preceded it. A year ago, locals in Plaka warned the city and utility companies about the risk of gas leaks or short circuits, according to a letter by the residents' association published by Kathimerini. They had urged a fire drill to identify weaknesses in emergency response plans for the district . Those concerns, however, did not prevent what followed.

The Plaka district lies at the foot of the Acropolis, Greece's most visited ancient monument. It is a place where history and daily life are layered together—tourists and residents sharing the same narrow streets, the same cafes, the same morning light. For the families of the six who died, the days since Friday have been spent in a different kind of time, waiting for answers that will not bring anyone back. The investigation continues. The street remains cordoned off. And Plaka, for now, is a neighborhood in mourning.

Six bodies, including four American tourists, have been recovered from the rubble of a building in Athens' Plaka district after a suspected gas leak explosion on Friday. An elderly British man and his Greek wife were also killed. Residents had warned about gas leak risks a year earlier.

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Sources: ABC News, Reuters, Kathimerini, Greek state broadcaster ERT, Associated Press, ORF, VRT