Three remanded in Athens after Plaka gas‑pipe theft linked to deadly Sept. 25 explosion

Pre-trial detention has been ordered for the three people arrested in connection with the late-September explosion that destroyed a two-storey building in the Plaka neighbourhood of Athens and killed six people, court sources in Athens reported.

After nearly six hours of testimony before an investigating judge and a public prosecutor, the suspects sought to reject accusations that their actions caused a gas leak and the subsequent blast. One of the men accused another of cutting a pipe, but they admitted that after removing parts they smelled gas — a detail the Hellenic Fire Service says is important for reconstructing the events that led to the explosion.

Security footage and investigation

Greek media have reported that the three — two Greek nationals aged 37 and 55 and a 34-year-old Albanian national — were captured on CCTV entering the two-storey building, damaging the natural gas installation to steal copper piping. The same footage reportedly shows them dividing the stolen pipes one hour after the explosion.

The probe into the blast, which lasted 34 days, was carried out by the Directorate for the Investigation of Arson-Related Crimes at the Hellenic Fire Service and identified the three alleged perpetrators, who were arrested on Friday.

The explosion occurred in the early morning hours of September 25 in a two-storey building that completely collapsed. Six people died: an elderly married couple who lived on the second floor and four guests staying on the first floor, which operated as an Airbnb — three U.S. citizens of Albanian origin and one American. Rescue teams searched the rubble for more than 30 hours before recovering the six bodies.

Photo: press material from the event