DNA testing has officially identified the four American tourists who were killed in the deadly explosion at a building on Lysikratous Street in Plaka last Friday, September 25.
The victims were two couples who had rented an apartment through Airbnb in the same building and were inside when the explosion occurred. They are Florinda Hoja and her husband, Ian Alexander Kirkpatrick, as well as her brother, Florin Hoja, and his wife, Eris Tsani.
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Relatives of the victims traveled to Greece to provide DNA samples and complete the identification process.
It is particularly heartbreaking that Florinda Hoxha and Ian Alexander Kirkpatrick had recently married and had chosen Greece for their honeymoon.
Meanwhile, the process of identifying the two remaining victims—an elderly couple who lived on the second floor of the building—is underway. Relatives will provide DNA samples, and the test results are expected to be completed by Friday.
As for the cause of the explosion, initial findings from the investigation appear to indicate that the natural gas leak occurred in the second-floor apartment where the elderly couple lived.
According to the same reports, the leak did not originate at the connection point to the main pipeline. Investigations of the main natural gas pipeline have not yet identified any damage.
The apartment in question was equipped with natural gas lines for a gas fireplace, the stove, and the water heater.
The evidence gathered so far suggests that the leak originated inside the apartment.
Source: Proto Thema
