FOUR American tourists are among the six killed when an explosion tore through a building near the Acropolis in Greece.
A suspected gas leak in the two-storey building in Athens triggered the deadly blast at around 7:30am on Friday, officials have said.
On Saturday morning, officials in Greece confirmed that they had pulled six bodies from the rubble including those of two American couples.
A British expat, 78, and his wife, 77, have been confirmed as the other two fatalities.
The Americans, aged 30 to 40, were staying at the residence and were due to check out just hours later.
They had been due to check out and fly from Athens airport at 3pm on Friday but they failed to show up, a police source said.
The group is believed to have comprised of a sister and her brother and their spouses, according to local media.
It is reported that one couple were newlyweds on their honeymoon.
They had all been staying in a short-term rental on the first floor.
Shocking pictures showed the aftermath of the blast which reduced the property to a pile of twisted metal, crumbled balconies and hanging concrete slabs in the district of Plaka.
Athens mayor Haris Doukas believes the blast was caused by a gas leak – but the deputy mayor told The Sun that an explosive device has not been ruled out.
He called the tragedy “an incredible disaster” with concerns that two nearby buildings may also collapse due to the damage they sustained.