Scenes of total destruction in Nea Ionia – The explosions and the deadly incident in 2023

A devastating fire broke out in the early hours of Monday (28/9) at a café located on the ground floor of a three-storey building on Kastamonis Street, in Nea Ionia.

Images from the scene shortly after the fire was brought under control reveal the extent of the destruction.

Residents who narrowly escaped the worst are now facing the grim reality in the light of day.

Πυρκαγιά σε καφετέρια επί της οδού Κασταμονής στη Νέα Ιωνία

The Fire Service rushed to the scene to extinguish the blaze, which started at 4:25 a.m., and to evacuate the apartments, as the fire broke out while residents were asleep.

The apartments on all three floors have suffered severe damage, while the café where the fire started has been completely destroyed. Even hours after the blaze broke out, smoke was still emerging from balconies and interior areas, with firefighters remaining on standby.

The 18 firefighters who arrived with five vehicles, including a special ladder and aerial platform vehicle, were forced to rescue several people trapped inside the building.

Residents’ shocking accounts and the explosions

A resident of the building told ERT that he woke up in the middle of the night after his wife alerted him that the balcony was already engulfed in flames. He described how the fire spread within minutes from the ground floor to the upper levels, with flames entering the apartments.

Residents also reported hearing a powerful bang before the fire broke out. One woman said she heard a loud explosion and, just seconds later, saw flames outside her window. Within around half an hour, she said, the fire had spread across almost the entire building.

Some residents managed to escape through the main entrance, while others were forced to seek refuge on the rooftop due to the thick smoke. They were later rescued with the help of firefighters, who guided them safely to nearby areas.

“Around 4:30, a woman was shouting ‘fire, fire’. When I opened the door, some people were running upstairs towards the rooftop, thinking they would be saved. I was shouting at them to come down, towards the exit,” a local resident told MEGA.

According to the resident, the fire started at the café and quickly spread to all the apartments. He added that one woman heard three explosions coming from the shop.