The local community has been left in shock by the tragedy that unfolded early this morning in Piraeus, when a 28-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman were found dead inside a car in the sealed garage of an apartment building on Milou Street. The victims have been identified as 28-year-old lawyer Iasonas Barelie and a 24-year-old trainee lawyer. They were discovered by the young man’s father, who immediately alerted the authorities. An ambulance from EKAV (the National Emergency Medical Service) rushed to the scene, but paramedics pronounced both victims dead on arrival.
Piraeus thriller: This is the 28-year-old found dead
Both families have been plunged into deep grief. According to reports, the 28-year-old was a practicing lawyer regarded as one of the rising stars in his field. He had an impressive résumé along with notable academic and professional achievements, and worked at a prominent law firm, having already distinguished himself through his abilities and career trajectory — remarkable given his young age.
Beyond his legal career, the 28-year-old was also actively involved in sports, playing for the football team of Drakonas DSA (Athens Bar Association).
Piraeus: What forensic authorities believe
Forensic authorities have offered a preliminary assessment of the cause of death of the 28-year-old and the 24-year-old in Piraeus. According to their initial findings, the two young people are believed to have died from fumes emanating from the car’s air conditioning system while inside a sealed residential garage. Specifically, investigators believe the vehicle’s engine was running with the air conditioning on inside the closed garage, and that toxic fumes somehow entered the cabin, causing the pair to lose consciousness. No visible wounds or abrasions were found on either body.
As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities are examining the possibility that exhaust fumes from the running engine entered the interior of the vehicle through the air conditioning system, causing the two young people to lose consciousness. However, the exact cause of death will only be established once the forensic examination and laboratory analyses are complete.
Greek Police are continuing their preliminary investigation in order to fully clarify the circumstances under which the tragedy occurred.
The leading scenario under examination is carbon monoxide or exhaust gas poisoning, though no possibility is being ruled out until the investigation is concluded. The autopsy, toxicological tests, and on-site forensic examination of the location where the vehicle was found are all expected to be critical in shedding light on the case.
Piraeus: Harrowing eyewitness accounts — “My girl, I’ve lost her”
A mother’s cry, as described by a witness, is enough to convey the full weight of the tragedy that unfolded on the morning of Tuesday, July 14th, in a garage on Milou Street in Piraeus. A local resident spoke as both an eyewitness and earwitness to the events. “The garage was completely sealed and the kids were inside. I saw the police and the ambulance. The girl’s mother was there, she was screaming, and then we all understood something terrible had happened. She was wailing, ‘my girl, I’ve lost her…'” the woman said, visibly moved and fighting back tears. She added: “It’s a great tragedy. I’m in shock and deeply shaken. They were young people, very good people. I’m devastated — we were practically neighbours.” Another resident of the same apartment building noted: “I came down late, around 10:30–11:00. The garage had already been opened and the police were inside. The kids were in the car.” He also remarked that the 28-year-old lawyer “was a strikingly handsome young man, tall. He was a fine young man, what can I say… When the parents saw them, they were… I can’t even say…”
