An explosion in central Athens, Greece’s Capital, has left three people injured and seriously damaged an office building while shattering nearby storefronts in a busy part of the city on Wednesday.
Fire department officials said a 77-year-old man was hospitalized with burns. Two others received medical attention for smoke inhalation.
The pre-dawn blast occurred 200 meters from the ancient Temple of Olympian Zeus on the busy Syngrou Avenue.
Firefighters were using aerial ladders to look for anyone possibly trapped inside the damaged buildings. As dawn broke, they forced their way into damaged stores to free several people trapped inside.
The cause of the blast wasn’t immediately clear.
A video from the Greek newspaper I Efimerida showed the windows and facades of buildings on the other side of the street Syngrou Avenue had also been destroyed in the explosion.
Local media reported one person had been injured and had been taken to hospital with burns.
Greek media also cited the fire department saying that the probable cause of the explosion was a gas leak. As such, police have cordoned off the area and kept people at a distance of 150 meters.
Rescue workers were searching through the building, which had caught fire, to look for people trapped inside. News channel Skai reported that according to locals the building had been empty and was being renovated.
Some 18 firefighters and seven vehicles were at the scene to battle the blaze.
The incident at central Athens, happened days after an unusually heavy snowstorm first hit the city and brought traffic and several services to a halt.