A building collapse near the Acropolis in Athens resulted in six deaths, including a British man and his Greek wife. Emergency crews recovered the bodies after an explosion in the Plaka tourist district on Friday morning, according to Greek broadcaster ERT. The retired British man, 78, and his Greek wife, 77, were pulled from the rubble early in the morning. The couple were living on the second floor of the building overlooking the Hadrian’s Gate monument. American nationals who had been staying in a short-term rental on the first floor were also killed. Six people were killed in the gas leak, according to reports. Panagiotis-Paris Harlafti, deputy mayor in Athens, told The Sun that the operation would now focus on determining the cause of the explosion. He said it could have been a gas leak, or something else, including an explosive device, but that they would only be sure in due course. Athens mayor Haris Doukas said on Friday night that the blast is believed to have been caused by a massive gas leak. Images show responders working around the building that had been reduced to rubble. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said they were aware of a suspected explosion in Athens and were in contact with local authorities, adding that they stood ready to offer assistance to British nationals abroad 24/7. The incident has drawn attention to the safety of historic areas in Athens, which are popular with both tourists and residents. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the explosion and to prevent similar incidents in the future.