Plaka explosion: Moment suspects are seen leaving with copper pipe

Security camera footage shows the three suspects walking through a narrow street in the area five hours before the tragedy, carrying the piece of copper piping they had removed.

The footage, obtained by ERTNews, is part of the material examined by Fire Service investigators that ultimately led to their identification.

The suspects are two Greek nationals and one Albanian national, all known to the authorities and with extensive criminal records. All three were granted an extension to prepare their testimony and are due to appear before an investigating magistrate on Monday at 12 noon.

Criminal charges have been brought against them for arson committed jointly and intentionally, resulting in danger to human life and the deaths of others; causing an explosion with the same consequences; multiple counts of homicide with possible intent, committed jointly; and multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm, also committed jointly.

What the cameras reveal

Investigators analysed footage from security cameras showing three individuals moving suspiciously around the building on Lysikratous Street five hours before the explosion.

Two of them can be seen entering the stairwell, remaining there for only a few minutes and then leaving hurriedly together with the third person, carrying a section of copper pipe.

Earlier, a report prepared by a laboratory at the National Technical University of Athens had concluded that the source of the gas leak was inside the building, next to the ground-floor meter, rather than outside the installation.

How the explosion was caused

According to investigators’ assessment, the suspects attempted to cut the pipe with a cutting tool and then pulled it, causing it to become dislodged and creating a rupture in the building’s internal gas installation.

Over the following hours, the leaking gas reached very high concentrations as far as the second floor, where an elderly couple lived.

When the elderly woman went into the bathroom and switched on the light, the resulting electrical spark triggered the deadly explosion.

The investigation lasted 34 days

According to Fire Service spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, the investigation was carried out under the supervision of the competent prosecutorial authorities and under conditions of strict secrecy.

For 34 days, specialised and experienced officers from the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes worked around the clock to establish the circumstances of the explosion and build the case.

Particular reference was made to the cooperation between Fire Service officers, the DIAS motorcycle police unit and the Extortion Crimes Department of the Hellenic Police Directorate for Combating Organised Crime.

Their assistance, it was stressed, proved important in identifying those allegedly involved.

Reconstruction of the explosion site and analysis of evidence

As part of the investigation, authorities reconstructed the site of the explosion through a series of methodical and coordinated actions.

Investigators also carried out a thorough analysis of audiovisual material, used evidence obtained after the lifting of communications secrecy, and examined physical evidence collected from the scene.

Particular emphasis, according to the official briefing, was placed on the scientific documentation of the case.

For this purpose, the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes worked with court-appointed experts, electrical engineers and a chemist, as well as scientific staff from the Metallurgy Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens.

The combined assessment of investigative and scientific findings played a decisive role in reconstructing the sequence of events and substantiating the conclusions of the investigation, the Fire Service spokesperson said.