Amaliada: Gas canister attack on apartment building entrance, possible link to Thessaloniki incidents investigated

Residents of Amaliada, Greece, were terrified early Saturday morning by a powerful gas canister explosion that rocked the entrance of an apartment building on 25th of March Street. The blast caused a deafening noise and significant disruption, leaving the area resembling a "bombardment scene," according to witnesses.

This latest incident raises serious concerns, occurring just days after a coordinated attack in Thessaloniki on Tuesday, June 30th. In that attack, gas canisters placed at the home of Afroditi Nestora led to two explosions. The blasts injured Nestora and other residents, and critically injured her mother, Vagia, who later died in the hospital.

Greek police data indicates a rise in such incendiary attacks, with over 150 arrests related to similar incidents in the past three years. Residents of Amaliada described the explosion as unprecedented, initially mistaking the sound for a traffic accident due to frequent collisions on a nearby street.

Investigators found three gas canisters and a gasoline container used in the Amaliada explosion, which caused damage to nearby buildings, including broken windows. Police are reviewing security camera footage for any leads on the perpetrators. A key focus of the investigation is exploring a possible connection between the Amaliada incident and the recent attacks in Thessaloniki, considering it could be an act of retaliation.

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Flames were burning the entrance of the apartment building and the scene resembled a bombardment, as described by eyewitnesses.