Two men have been arrested after a massive explosion and fire tore through three businesses in Aspropyrgos, a western At...

Two men have been arrested after a massive explosion and fire tore through three businesses in Aspropyrgos, a western Athens industrial zone, on Thursday morning, leaving two workers critically burned and fighting for their lives in intensive care. The blaze started at around 7:40 a.m. on Megaridos Street when welding work using an oxygen-acetylene torch system sent sparks into a tanker truck parked on the premises. The truck was carrying propane. The resulting explosion produced a fireball visible across the industrial area, captured on video that has since circulated widely on social media. The fire leveled the auto repair shop where the work was being done and completely destroyed two neighboring businesses. Civil Protection activated emergency alert 112 at 8:34 a.m., ordering residents in the area to evacuate immediately. A total of 75 firefighters with 20 vehicles and specialized aerial equipment were deployed to bring the blaze under control. Authorities arrested the owner of the auto repair shop and the manager of the tanker truck. The arson crimes unit has filed charges of causing fire and explosion with possible intent, and the case has been referred to the prosecutor's office. Investigators say the fire was not accidental and are continuing their inquiry into the exact circumstances. Two workers remain in critical condition at KAT hospital's intensive care unit. A 54-year-old man has burns covering 90 percent of his body and is on a ventilator. A 41-year-old man suffered burns to 75 percent of his body along with inhalation injuries, underwent emergency plastic surgery, and is also on a ventilator. Two more workers with less severe burns remain hospitalized at Thriasio hospital, and a fifth person is being monitored at Attikon hospital for serious respiratory problems from smoke inhalation. Trade unions and political parties including PASOK, SYRIZA, and KKE have condemned the incident, alleging repeated prior warnings about safety conditions at the industrial zone and calling for stricter enforcement of workplace safety inspections. #Aspropyrgos #WorkplaceSafety #Greece