Explosion in building in Athens' historic center: injuries reported

At least three people have been injured after a building collapsed following a powerful explosion near the Acropolis in central Athens, officials have said.

The blast destroyed an old two-storey building and damaged others at the foot of the Acropolis hill, Greece's most visited ancient monument, in the city's Plaka tourist district, on Friday morning.

Two women were taken to hospital for treatment after being pulled from an adjacent building, the city's fire department said.

A passer-by was also hurt in the explosion, which occurred at 7.30am local time, Greek news outlet eKathimerini.com reported.

Quoting fire chiefs, the outlet reported 24 firefighters were deployed to the scene after the blast "ripped off the facade of the mid-20th-century house, broke windows and damaged cars near the collapsed building".

Nearby buildings, homes, shops and cars were damaged in the blast.

Police cordoned off the area as rescuers with a sniffer dog searched the rubble for others who might be trapped, in a search that continued hours after the incident, the fire department said.