A fire that broke out at a café in the northern Athens suburb of Nea Ionia in the early hours of Monday spread rapidly to the three floors of flats above, forcing firefighters to rescue several people from the building.

The blaze started at about 4.30am in the café, which occupies the ground floor of a three-storey building on Kastamonis Street. People were inside the premises when the flames broke out, while residents of the apartments above were asleep.

Witnesses said they heard an explosion from the ground floor shortly before the fire took hold. Fire service investigators are examining whether the blast was caused by a gas cylinder or whether the fire was started deliberately.

The Hellenic Fire Service sent 18 firefighters with five vehicles, along with a specialist ladder and aerial platform unit. Crews helped evacuate the café and neighbouring flats, and carried out checks for anyone who might still be trapped.

The apartments on all three floors were burnt out and the café was completely destroyed. Smoke was still rising from balconies and interiors hours after the fire began, with firefighters remaining on standby.

One resident said he was woken during the night by his wife, who told him their balcony was already engulfed in flames. He said the fire climbed from the ground floor to the upper storeys in a matter of moments.

No injuries had been reported by early morning.

Police closed Rodon Street from its junction with Ikoniou Street, and Kastamonis Street from Panaitolikou Square, while the firefighting operation continued.

The same café was the scene of a fatal shooting in February 2023, when a 37-year-old man of Albanian origin was killed by gunfire from a fellow Albanian national following an argument with other Albanian men. The victim had not been involved in the dispute, and there is nothing to suggest any link between that incident and Monday’s fire.