4 injured in explosion at Athens apartment building

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Four people, including two police officers, were injured Wednesday when a bag containing suspected drugs and an explosive device detonated in the entrance of an apartment building in central Athens, according to media reports.

The Kathimerini newspaper said the explosion occurred in the Kolonos neighborhood after the building manager alerted police to a suspicious bag left near a ground-floor elevator.

Two officers opened the bag and discovered what appeared to be drugs, weighing scales and pills before an improvised explosive device detonated under unclear circumstances.

Officials, according to the report, said the device contained a detonator connected to batteries and low-grade explosives. Initial reports suggested that one of the officers may have pressed a button on the detonator, triggering the explosion.

All four injured people, including the building manager, were taken to hospital.

One officer sustained more serious injuries to an eye and hand. Meanwhile, firefighters responded to the incident.

Beyza Binnur Dönmez