A British man and his Greek wife are believed to be among those killed in a building collapse near the Acropolis in Athens.

Emergency crews recovered six bodies after the explosion in the Plaka tourist district on Friday morning, Greek broadcaster ERT said.

The retired British man, 78, and his Greek wife, 77, were pulled from the rubble early this 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.

Panagiotis-Paris Harlafti, deputy mayor in Athens, told The Sun: ‘Now that the victims have been found, the operation will turn to the cause and discovering what triggered the explosion.

‘It could have been a gas leak, it could have been something else, even an explosive device, but we will only be sure in due course.’

Images show responders working around the building that had been reduced to rubble.

The blast is believed to have been caused by a massive gas leak, Athens mayor Haris Doukas said on Friday night.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: ‘We are aware of a suspected explosion in Athens and are in touch with the local authorities.

‘We stand ready to offer assistance to British nationals abroad 24/7.’

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.

MORE: Where is hot in October? Stunning destinations with plenty of sun, chosen by our editors

MORE: The bohemian Greek island with no cars, no chaos and timeless charm

MORE: Murder suspect’s x-rated messages to ‘viking’ lover on Greek holiday, revealed in court