Four American citizens were among the six individuals who perished in Athens, Greece following an explosion that resulted in the structural collapse of a two-story edifice, according to US officials.

US State Department announces fatalities of four Americans after an explosion destroys a building. (AP )

The blast occurred Friday morning in Plaka, a renowned tourist district situated in proximity to the historic Acropolis, dispersing debris across the surrounding area.

On Saturday, the US State Department officially confirmed the fatalities of the four Americans, attributing their deaths to a gas explosion.

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Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle confirmed the deaths in a post on X, writing: “My thoughts and prayers are with the families and the loved ones of those killed and injured in this horrific incident. Our hearts are with them during this difficult time. I extend my deepest appreciation to the Greek first responders who worked tirelessly at the scene.”

Iefimerida.gr, an Athens-based news outlet, reported the identities of the victims, and The National Herald, a Greek-American outlet, corroborated them.

Florida Hoxha and Kirkpatrick were married. Florin Hoxha and Tsani were enjoying their honeymoon, according to reports. Family members said that Tsani was expecting a child, approximately three months into her pregnancy.

They were sating in a rental accommodation and had arrangements to depart for the US a few hours after the explosion. Their places of origin and respective ages have not been disclosed to the public.

Greek authorities said that a natural gas leak originating from an operational supply line situated on the second floor presumably triggered the explosion, as reported by iefimerida.gr. The investigative is still in progress.