Fammable materials were found scattered around the perimeter of the café where a fire started in the early hours of Monday (28/09) in an apartment block in Nea Ionia, according to information from ERT. The discovery was made during searches carried out by officers from the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes.

The finding has led authorities to consider that the fire may not have been accidental, but a deliberate act of arson. For that reason, the investigation has now been handed to the Extortion Prosecution Unit, with officers examining every aspect of the business and its past, as well as any links to other attacks recorded in Athens in recent weeks.

Investigators are also looking at incidents targeting shops owned by foreign nationals, as the café’s owner is a 22-year-old from Syria.

The same business has previously come to the attention of the authorities. In February 2023, a fatal altercation involving gunfire took place inside the café, in which a 37-year-old customer was mortally wounded. According to the same information, two days earlier the 16-year-old son of the then owner had been attacked and robbed by unknown assailants.

The current 22-year-old owner gave a statement to officers in which he said he had not received any threats recently. Inquiries are continuing, however, with authorities even examining the possibility that the order for the attack was given by individuals inside prison.

Meanwhile, the 10-year-old girl who was rescued from the roof of the building is being treated at Agia Sofia Children’s Hospital and is out of danger. She had inhaled a large amount of smoke, having been among the residents who climbed onto the rooftop to shelter from the flames.

Firefighters managed to bring the residents to safety, and the girl was taken to hospital as a precaution. Her condition is not causing concern.