Tragedy for Albanian family, sister and brother among victims in Athens (PHOTOS)

Photos have been released of the Albanians who tragically lost their lives when a building collapsed on Lysikratous Street, in the Plaka area of Athens. The victims were Florin and Florida Hoxha, an American-citizen sister and brother, and Eris Cani, Florin Hoxha’s wife.

Three other people also lost their lives in the powerful explosion that shook Athens. They were Ian Alexander Kirpatrick, Florida Hoxha’s husband, and Edmond Hings and Athina Papapresku, the owners of the building where the explosion occurred.

The bodies of the Albanian-American citizens, who were visiting Athens as tourists, were discovered beneath the building’s rubble this morning.

Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said: “This is an extraordinary catastrophe.”

The three-story building completely collapsed as a result of the force of the explosion, while neighboring buildings were damaged and debris was scattered across the streets.

Local media reported that people were injured by materials scattered across the surrounding streets and that several buildings had to be evacuated.

The explosion is believed to have been caused by a gas leak, but investigations are still ongoing. Excavators and thermal cameras were used at the scene to search for survivors.

The explosion occurred on a small street located between two of Athens’ most visited sites: the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.