By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Three men have been arrested in Greece in connection with a deadly gas explosion in Athens that killed six people, including a pregnant woman, authorities announced Friday.
Explosion Cause and Arrests
The blast occurred on September 25 in the historic Plaka district when a resident turned on a light, igniting natural gas that had accumulated after suspects allegedly stole copper piping from the building's gas supply. Two Greek nationals and an Albanian were arrested on suspicion of cutting and removing copper pipes hours before the explosion, damaging the installation and causing the leak.
Victims Identified
Four of the victims were American citizens: Florida Hoxha, 34, her husband Ian Kirkpatrick, 37, her brother Florin Hoxha, 36, and his partner Eris Caney, 39, who was five months pregnant. The couple had celebrated their wedding 25 days earlier. The other two victims were an elderly British-Greek couple, aged 78 and 77, who lived on the second floor where the explosion originated.
Bus Narrowly Misses Blast
The explosion narrowly missed a school bus carrying 12 children that had passed the building seconds before the blast. Debris struck the minibus but all children escaped injury.
Suspects to Appear in Court
The three suspects are expected to appear before a prosecutor on Friday. Fire brigade investigators concluded the suspects damaged the building's main gas infrastructure while removing copper pipe parts.
