Explosion at Greek railway offices in Athens

The building was evacuated prior to the explosion, after Greek media reportedly received a warning call for a bomb.

Police in Greece reported on Friday that an explosion occurred outside the offices of Hellenic Train in Athens.

What do we know so far? 

No injuries were reported, and authorities cordoned off the area. The building had been evacuated prior to the bomb's detonation.

The blast took place in front of the Hellenic Train offices, in an area neighboring hotels, restaurants tourist rentals, and near one of Athens' busiest highways.

Police officials confirmed that two Greek media organizations received warning calls about an explosive device set to go off within 35 minutes.

Greek daily Efsyn and news website Zougla said the explosive device had been hidden in a padlocked backpack, placed on a scooter without license plates.

The device detonated before a police bomb disposal squad could disable it.

The Hellenic Train building was undamaged in the explosion.

Worries about domestic terrorism

Authorities said the device was a makeshift bomb and so far, no one has claimed responsibility for detonating it. 

But the incident is reminiscient of an explosion that took place outside the Ministry of Labor in 2024.

Greece has a history of politically-motivated violence that dates back to the 1970s.

Domestic extremist groups have carried out small scale detonations, which cause damage to property but rarely lead to injuries. 

Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis has warned of an emerging new generation of domestic extremists.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse and Wesley Dockery