Greek police are trying to trace the origins of a bag containing an explosive device that detonated inside an apartment building in Kolonos, Athens, on Wednesday (October 21), injuring four people, including two police officers.

Homicide investigators handling the case are examining evidence and witness statements to identify the person or people who left the bag, which contained both explosives and drugs, inside the building, putting residents and responding officers at serious risk.

A search of the explosion site uncovered narcotics, a precision scale and an explosive device equipped with a detonator, remote control and a low-powered explosive charge.

Protothema.gr has obtained security camera footage capturing the sound of the explosion, which could be heard up to 200 meters away and caused alarm among residents of the Kolonos neighborhood.

The footage, recorded by a nearby store’s security camera, shows two female customers talking to the shop owner when a loud blast suddenly interrupts their conversation.

Startled by the noise, the women wonder what has happened and look toward Platonos Street, where the explosion occurred.

Investigators examine possible drug-related motive

Police believe the most likely scenario is that the incident is connected to drug trafficking, with individuals involved in criminal activity potentially having rigged the drugs with an explosive device as an additional security measure.

The suspicious bag was initially discovered by the apartment building’s manager, who opened it, noticed the drugs and contacted the authorities.

Police officers arrived at the scene, and when one of them opened the bag and examined its contents, the device was activated, triggering the explosion.

The evidence has been sent to the police forensic laboratories for further examination. Specialists will seek to establish the device’s precise wiring and determine how it was triggered, including whether it was designed to explode when someone attempted to open the bag.

Photographs published by Protothema.gr on Wednesday show the scene of the explosion and the remote control, including the button believed to be associated with the device’s detonation mechanism.

Photographs obtained by Protothema.gr show evidence recovered following the explosion in Kolonos.

Four injured, none in life-threatening condition

The police officer who opened the bag was taken to the 401 General Military Hospital in Athens, where he underwent surgery.

His fellow officer and two civilians, including the apartment building’s manager, were transported to Evangelismos Hospital.

None of the four injured people is believed to be in life-threatening condition.

Investigators are continuing their efforts to determine who placed the explosive device in the building, how the bag arrived there and whether the explosion was intended to target anyone who attempted to access its contents.