Explosion in Kolonos: Exclusive images of the device – Where the investigation is focusing

The Directorate for Combating Organized Crime is conducting an extensive investigation into the explosion that occurred in Kolonos on Wednesday afternoon (21/10), as authorities seek to trace the route of the booby-trapped bag and determine who it was intended for.

One police officer was seriously injured in the explosion, while a female colleague and two civilians sustained lighter injuries.

The explosive device was activated while in the hands of the police officer, who had gone to the scene following information about a bag allegedly containing narcotic substances.

A key question for investigators now is who left the bag in the stairwell of the apartment building and who its actual intended recipient was. Authorities are examining all possibilities, while also trying to establish whether the information about drugs was connected to the way the trap had been set.

In the presence of a prosecutor, searches were carried out in all apartments in the building in an effort to locate evidence that could lead investigators to the people behind the placement of the device.

Remnants of the device under scrutiny

Particular attention is being given to the evidence collected from the scene and transferred to forensic laboratories.

According to ERTnews, the remnants included a push-button switch being examined to determine whether it could have been used for remote activation, a component from a digital scale or kitchen appliance capable of holding a small quantity of explosive material, as well as a spring with a battery.

Although the device is believed to have been of relatively low power, the booby-trapped bag was capable of causing serious injury to anyone attempting to open it.

Bomb disposal experts are examining the device’s wiring, the way it was activated and the origin of its components. At the same time, investigators are searching for fingerprints, genetic material and any other trace that could lead to those responsible.

The results of the laboratory analyses are also considered crucial, as authorities expect them to provide answers regarding the type of explosive material used, the triggering mechanism and the circumstances under which the bag was placed in the stairwell.

Exclusive images of the explosive device

Hellenic Police statement

“Today, Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 14:32, a citizen called the Emergency Response telephone centre and reported that he was the manager of an apartment building on Platonos Street, in the Kolonos area, and that he had found inside the building a bag containing a jar with narcotic substances and a scale.

Two police officers who were carrying out a security patrol from departments of the Athens Sub-Directorate for Crime Prevention and Investigation went to the scene, where the caller was waiting for them. Together with another person, a resident of the building, they showed the officers the bag, which was located in a communal area on the mezzanine floor.

During the inspection, at approximately 15:30, an explosion occurred, injuring the two civilians and the two police officers.

The injured were transported by ambulance to hospitals, while teams from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department (T.E.E.M.) and the Directorate of Forensic Investigations were dispatched to the scene.

A preliminary investigation is being conducted by the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime.”

Timeline of events

According to the sequence of events, police received a call requesting an inspection of a bag containing a quantity of drugs at the building located at 142 Platonos Street.

When Security Division officers arrived at the scene, they located the bag and, when they attempted to open it, discovered drugs as well as an explosive device. The device detonated during the police investigation, seriously injuring the Security Division officer conducting the inspection.

A large police presence, along with fire brigade units, was immediately dispatched to the scene.