Explosion occurs near railway offices in Athens, Greece

Late on Friday, an explosion occurred in Athens, Greece after tips were given to local media outlets. The explosion occurred in an area near the offices of the railway company Hellenic Train, which were damaged in the incident, occuring during what was described as "peak traffic hour."

The explosive device was discovered inside a backback that was rigged with padlocks and was strapped to a scooter void of license plates or identification.

A police bomb squad unit was dispatched with the intention of defusing the bomb before detonation, however, they did not arrive in time to achieve this.

The explosion was captured on CCTV security footage.

While the explosion appeared to be intentional, the cause remained unknown. The explosion caused "limited material damage," according to a spokesperson for Hellenic Train. The company said in a statement, "Our company unequivocally condemns all forms of violence and tensions that fuel a climate of toxicity that undermines all progress."

No fatalities or injuries were reported, though Greece's Transport Minister Christos Staikouras expressed his belief that the incident endangered the lives of railway employees and other pedestrians. He derided the act as "absolutely condemnable."

The explosion came two years after a controversy surrounding Hellenic Train involving an incident in 2023 where two passenger trains were erroneously put on the same track, resulting in a crash that killed 57 people, most of whom were young people.