Latest news with #Thessaloniki
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
Two wounded in Greece after explosion at home of prison guard official
Two people have been wounded in a bomb attack in a suburb of Greece's second city Thessaloniki, damaging a block of flats and six cars. The explosion in the early hours on Saturday morning targeted the home of the president of the Greek association of prison guards in the suburb of Sykies. The guard, identified as Konstantinos Varsamis on the association's website, was unharmed after about 3kg of explosives were placed near the front door of his building, where he lives on the first floor. Two other people suffered minor injuries from shards of glass, police sources told Agence France-Presse. The blast was said to have caused a 'deafening noise' heard over a radius of more than 1km. 'I woke up because of the very loud bang of the explosion,' Tzetno Kelo, who lives in an adjacent building, said. 'Shattered glass from a window fell on my bed and I was covered in blood.' He was treated at a hospital before being discharged. Sofia Hatzigeorgiou, 88, who lives alone, told the Greek media outlet DNews that she had got up and discovered her house had become a 'summer house': a huge hole had opened up in the wall between her mezzanine flat and the building where the bomb had been placed. The windows of neighbouring buildings were also damaged in the blast. Local media reports suggest the bomb was a 'fairly simple device' triggered by a standard detonator. Police told Associated Press reporters that a witness saw a man walking in the street shortly before the explosion and they were focusing their efforts on criminal gangs rather than terror groups. Varsamis has worked for many years at Diavata prison, west of Thessaloniki, known for housing many criminal gang members as well as convicted terrorists. A spokesperson for the Hellenic police force confirmed that its organised crime unit was leading the preliminary investigation into the incident. Firefighters, an ambulance and dozens of police officers, including anti-terrorism specialists, attended the scene. Footage of the incident showed crowds of people standing outside the building in the middle of the night, some in their nightwear and slippers. One woman carefully made her way across shards of glass, carrying a cat. The Thessaloniki MP, Stratos Simopoulos, told DNews he had rushed to the scene of the explosion to support Varsamis, who is a friend of his: 'He has my full support, because a few weeks ago, I too received the same cowardly attack. His was much more violent. 'Public officials, who perform their duty without compromise, may be on the frontlines of the threat from such terrorist and criminal actions. I absolutely believe that they do not flinch,' he said.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
Two wounded in Greece after explosion at home of prison guard official
Two people have been wounded in a targeted bomb attack in a suburb of Greece's second city Thessaloniki, damaging a block of flats and six cars. The explosion targeted the home of the president of the Greek association of prison guards in the suburb of Sykies, in the early hours on Saturday morning. The guard, identified as Konstantinos Varsamis on the association's website, was left unharmed after about 3kg of explosives were placed near the front door of his building, where he lives on the first floor. However, two people suffered minor injuries from shards of glass, police sources told Agence France-Presse. The blast was said to have caused a 'deafening noise' heard over a radius of more than 1km. 'I woke up because of the very loud bang of the explosion,' Tzetno Kelo, 52, who lives in an adjacent building, said. 'Shattered glass from a window fell on my bed and I was covered in blood.' He was treated at a hospital before being discharged. Sofia Hatzigeorgiou, 88, who lives alone, told the Greek media outlet DNews that she got up and discovered her house had become a 'summer house': a huge hole had opened up in the wall between her mezzanine flat and the building where the bomb was placed. The windows of neighbouring buildings were also damaged in the blast. Local media reports suggest the bomb was a 'fairly simple device' triggered by a standard detonator. Police told Associated Press reporters that a witness saw a man walking in the street shortly before the explosion and they are focusing their efforts on criminal gangs rather than terror groups. Varsamis has worked for many years at Diavata prison, west of Thessaloniki, known for housing many criminal gang members as well as convicted terrorists. A spokesperson for the Hellenic police force confirmed to the Guardian that its organised crime unit is leading the preliminary investigation of the incident. Firefighters, an ambulance and dozens of police officers, including anti-terror specialists, attended the scene, and a film of the incident showed crowds of people standing outside the building in the middle of the night, some in their nightwear and slippers. One woman carefully made her way across shards of glass, carrying a cat. The Thessaloniki MP, Stratos Simopoulos, told DNews he had rushed to the scene of the explosion to support Varsamis, who is a friend of his: 'He has my full support, because a few weeks ago, I too received the same cowardly attack – his was much more violent. Public officials, who perform their duty without compromise, may be on the frontlines of the threat from such terrorist and criminal actions. I absolutely believe that they do not flinch,' he said.
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
A strong bomb explosion targets a Greek prison guard's home
A man cleans the area where a bomb exploded, at the entrance of the home of president of the Greek association of prison guards, at a suburb of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, July 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos) THESSALONIKI, Greece — A bomb explosion targeted the home of the president of the Greek association of prison guards early Saturday morning in the country's north. The guard, named Konstantinos Varsamis on the association's website, was left unharmed after about three kilograms (about 6.6 pounds) of explosives went off at 2:10 a.m. local time, police said. Two people suffered minor injuries from shattered glass. The explosives were placed outside his apartment building's front door in Sykies, a suburb in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where he lives on the first floor, according to authorities. The blast damaged three apartment buildings, shattering their windows and collapsing a shared wall, according to an Associated Press reporter on-site. 'I woke up because of the very loud bang of the explosion,' Tzetno Kelo, 52, who lives in an adjacent apartment building, said. 'Shattered glass from a window fell on my bed and I was covered in blood.' He was treated at a hospital before being discharged Police said a witness saw a man walking in the densely built street shortly before the explosion. Varsamis has worked for many years at Diavata prison, west of Thessaloniki, known for housing many criminal gang members as well as convicted terrorists. Two police officers said they are focusing their efforts on criminal gangs rather than terror groups. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not supposed to comment on an ongoing investigation. The police have already deposed Varsamis, they said. The police's Organized Crime Unit is leading the investigation. Costas Kantouris, The Associated Press
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Two injured in bomb attack on Greek prison guard's home
A bomb explosion targeted the home of Konstantinos Varsamis, president of the Greek association of prison guards, in Thessaloniki early on Saturday morning. Approximately 3 kilograms of explosives detonated at 2:10 a.m. local time outside his apartment building's front door in Sykies. Varsamis was unharmed, though two people sustained minor injuries from shattered glass, and three apartment buildings were damaged. Police are investigating the incident, with the Organized Crime Unit leading efforts and focusing on criminal gangs rather than terror groups. Varsamis works at Diavata prison, which houses many criminal gang members and convicted terrorists, a factor police are considering in their investigation.
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Al Arabiya
A strong bomb explosion targets a Greek prison guard's home
A bomb explosion targeted the home of the president of the Greek association of prison guards early Saturday morning in the country's north. The guard, named Konstantinos Varsamis on the association's website, was left unharmed after about 3 kilograms (about 6.6 pounds) of explosives went off at 2:10 a.m. local time, police said. Two people suffered minor injuries from shattered glass. The explosives were placed outside his apartment building's front door in Sykies, a suburb in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where he lives on the first floor, according to authorities. The blast damaged three apartment buildings, shattering their windows and collapsing a shared wall, according to an Associated Press reporter on-site. 'I woke up because of the very loud bang of the explosion,' Tzetno Kelo, 52, who lives in an adjacent apartment building, said. 'Shattered glass from a window fell on my bed, and I was covered in blood.' He was treated at a hospital before being discharged. Police said a witness saw a man walking in the densely built street shortly before the explosion. Varsamis has worked for many years at Diavata prison west of Thessaloniki, known for housing many criminal gang members as well as convicted terrorists. Two police officers said they are focusing their efforts on criminal gangs rather than terror groups. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not supposed to comment on an ongoing investigation. The police have already deposed Varsamis, they said. The police's Organized Crime Unit is leading the investigation.
