One dead and five missing after explosion destroys building close to Acropolis in Athens
Local media report the property included a holiday rental, with US tourists and a UK national among the missing.
One person dead and five missing after blast destroys building near Athens Acropolis
The explosion occurred in the central Plaka district of the Greek capital
At least one person has died and five others are missing after an explosion destroyed a building in the historic centre of Athens.
The blast took place in the Plaka area of the Greek capital, a neighbourhood near tourist attractions such as the Acropolis, with local media saying the building was used as a holiday rental.
Four American tourists, one British national and one Greek national are said to be the people involved, although authorities have not confirmed that.
Images from the scene showed emergency workers searching through the rubble, with a gas leak suspected to have caused the blast.
The body of a woman was discovered on Saturday morning, and the search is continuing.
Reuters news agency reported, citing local police, that the tourists were confirmed missing after they failed to turn up for their flight at Athens airport.
The force of the blast caused the three-storey building to collapse completely, damaging nearby buildings and scattering debris across the road.
Excavators and thermal imaging cameras have been deployed at the scene in the search for survivors.
The explosion happened on a narrow road between two of Athens' most visited landmarks - the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.