Bomb explodes in heart of Athens after anonymous call warns ‘threat is no joke’
An anonymous phone call to a Greek newspaper warned that a bomb had been planted in the centre of Athens.
The male caller gave a timeframe of 35 to 40 minutes, insisting it was not a joke and the threat is serious.
It was not long after that an explosion rocked the head office of Greece’s main railway company, Hellenic Train, which was involved in the tragic rail disaster in 2023 in which 57 people were killed and dozens more wounded.
The incident happened late on Friday, and there were no reports of injuries.
CCTV footage shows the moment the shockwave ripped through Syngrou Avenue, a main road in the capital lined up with restaurants and bars that is a popular spot for tourists.
A padlocked backpack was seen abandoned outside the HQ of the rail firm in the hours before.
This is where the incendiary device was concealed.
Police had secured the area, and forensics teams were spotted collecting evidence at the site.
In a statement, Hellenic Train said the explosion had occurred ‘very close to its central offices’ and said the blast had caused limited damage and no injuries to any employees or passers-by.
It said authorities had acted immediately upon receiving information about the warning call, and that the company was cooperating fully with them and ensuring the safety of its staff.
The blast comes amid widespread protest over the catastrophe that saw a freight train and a passenger train heading in opposite directions crash as they were accidentally put on the same track.
The victims included mostly university students who had been returning to classes after a public holiday.
Criticism over the government’s handling of the February 28, 2023 collision at Tempe in northern Greece has mounted over the last few weeks in the wake of the second anniversary of the disaster.
The crash exposed severe deficiencies in the railway system, including in safety systems, and has triggered mass protests – led by relatives of the victims – against the country’s conservative government.
Critics accused authorities of failing to take political responsibility for the disaster or holding senior officials accountable.
So far, only rail officials have been charged with any crimes.
Several protests in recent weeks have turned violent, with demonstrators clashing with police.
Earlier Friday, a heated debate in Parliament on the rail catastrophe led to lawmakers voting to refer a former Cabinet minister to judicial authorities to be investigated over alleged violation of duty over his handling of the immediate aftermath of the accident.
Hellenic Train said it ‘unreservedly condemns every form of violence and tension which are triggering a climate of toxicity that is undermining all progress.’
Greece has a long history of politically-motivated violence dating back to the 1970s.
Domestic extremist groups have carried out small-scale bombings which usually cause damage but rarely lead to injuries.
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