Scenes of terror were experienced at dawn by residents of Ypsonas, when a closed factory in the area was engulfed in flames shortly after 2:00 in the morning. The fire caused continuous explosions, causing the entire neighbourhood to wake up in terror and take to the streets.
According to witnesses, the flames reached very close to homes and threatened them since there was an immediate danger of spreading.
"We woke up around two o'clock from the sounds of explosions. The whole neighbourhood came out in terror. Too many people ran to help because the fire was approaching our homes. It was as if we were living at war," said resident Anna Maria Kouloudi.
She described how gas canisters were fired from the explosion that hit houses, breaking windows and scattering debris. "The house was filled with gas canisters, the glasses were broken... It was very scary, especially with the babies inside," she said. Fortunately, the timely intervention of the Fire Brigade and the assistance of citizens who rushed to help prevented the worst. "If the fire brigade hadn't come quickly, I don't know what would have happened," the resident added.
