New video footage from the first seconds after the explosion at an apartment building in Kolonos captures a wounded police officer, thick smoke, and debris scattered across the building’s entrance. Meanwhile, police authorities continue their investigation to identify the person who left a bag containing drugs, a scale, and an improvised explosive device in the building’s common area. As part of the investigation, the background of one of the building’s residents was examined, though no evidence linking him to the incident has been found so far.
Read more: Kolonos explosion: The bag containing the explosive device and drugs takes center stage — new images from the scene (Video)
Kolonos: Images from the first seconds after the explosion
The documentary footage captures the scene inside the apartment building immediately after the powerful explosion on Wednesday, October 21. Thick smoke and dust had filled the space, while the entrance was strewn with debris and traces of blood. The police officer who reportedly triggered the explosive device accidentally appears injured and struggling to regain his bearings. The footage also captures the distress of the building’s occupants as they attempt to orient themselves in the suffocating atmosphere. Four people were injured in total as a result of the explosion. The sub-inspector, who sustained the most serious injuries, remains hospitalized at the 401 Military Hospital, while a female police officer and two civilians were transferred to Evangelismos Hospital with minor injuries.
The bag of drugs and the evidence under investigation
Detectives from the Homicide Division are focusing their efforts on locating usable surveillance footage that may have captured suspicious activity prior to the explosion. The goal is to determine who placed the bag in the building’s common area and under what circumstances. According to information that has been made public, the bag contained drugs, a scale, and an improvised explosive device. Investigators are exploring the possibility that the item had been temporarily stashed at the location, with the intention of the carrier returning later to retrieve it. At the same time, a potential link between the device and a rivalry among low-level drug dealers is being investigated, though no specific target has been confirmed.
The resident with a criminal past
Among the first steps taken by police was a background check on the building’s residents. According to iefimerida, it was found that one resident had previously come to the attention of authorities in connection with drug-related offenses and other crimes. In May 2012, he was arrested along with two others in a drug case, and in October of the same year he was located in Filiates, near an area where police discovered eight bags containing a total of 240 kilograms of raw cannabis. In January 2016, he was arrested near the Igoumenitsa bus terminal alongside another individual, as it was found that neither possessed travel documents and had entered the country illegally. In 2017, he was sentenced to 47 years in prison — with 20 years to be served — along with a fine of €11,000 and an additional one-year sentence for escape. In 2021, further charges were filed against him for an attempted escape during a prison transfer.
What the resident told police
The resident in question was released from prison on September 4, with nearly nine years of his sentence remaining, and was placed under restrictive conditions valid until 2035. On Wednesday evening, he voluntarily presented himself to police and denied any involvement in the explosion, claiming he was in his apartment with his child at the time of the incident. When asked about his broken front door, he reportedly stated that it had been damaged by the blast, as it was the only door in the building that was not reinforced. Despite the examination of his background, authorities have not found evidence linking him to the bag or the explosive device.
Unanswered questions in the investigation
Police continue to search for information regarding the origin of the bag, the person who left it, and its intended destination. The theory that the item had been temporarily concealed at the location remains one of the scenarios under consideration. Similarly, the possibility that the device was connected to disputes among individuals involved in drug trafficking has not been confirmed. The collection and review of surveillance footage from the area and the assessment of other findings are ongoing, as authorities search for evidence that will allow them to identify the person who placed the bag in the building.
