A 39-year-old woman has died following the explosion of an improvised explosive device in Thessaloniki, outside a branch of the National Bank located at the intersection of Agiou Dimitriou and Platonos streets. Anti-terrorism units were immediately dispatched to the scene.

The explosion occurred just after 5 a.m. outside a closed parking area in an apartment building, on the ground floor of which the bank is located. The blast caused the woman, who happened to be at the scene at that moment, to be severely injured and suffer amputations. CPR was administered, she was intubated on-site, and transported to the Ippokrateio Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries shortly thereafter.

According to reports, the deceased woman was already known to police authorities, having been previously involved in cases under common criminal law. Authorities are also seriously considering a possible connection to organized crime. She had previously come to the attention of law enforcement for her involvement in robberies, loan sharking, and firearms offenses.

Photos from the scene have been released.