Deadly explosion in Athens tourist district linked to copper piping theft
Associated Press ·
Three men accused of causing a deadly explosion in Athens by stealing copper piping from a gas supply network are appearing in court for a preliminary hearing. The blast on September 25 led to the collapse of a two-story building in the Plaka district, killing six people, including an elderly couple and four American tourists. Authorities allege the suspects, two Greeks and one Albanian, removed piping to sell the copper as scrap. The fire department announced Thursday that a 34-day investigation led to their arrest. The suspects face charges including arson, manslaughter and causing a deadly explosion.
3 appear in court accused of causing deadly gas explosion in Athens by stealing copper piping
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Three men accused of causing a deadly explosion in the heart of Athens’ tourist district by allegedly stealing copper piping from the local gas supply network were appearing in court Monday for a preliminary hearing.
The massive blast on Sept. 25 caused the collapse of a two-story residential building in the Greek capital’s historic Plaka district, near the ancient Acropolis. Six people were killed – an elderly couple living in one of the apartments, and four American tourists staying in a short-term rental property in the building.
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