Booby-trapped bag explosion in Kolonos: four injured, two scenarios under investigation
An improvised explosive device was detonated in a stairwell of an apartment building in Kolonos, injuring two police officers and two civilians.
Booby-trapped bag with drugs detonated in apartment building in Kolonos
An improvised explosive device exploded in the stairwell of an apartment building on Platon Street in Kolonos, shortly before 4pm, resulting in injuries to two police officers and two civilians, one of whom was seriously wounded. The incident began with a phone call from a citizen to the Immediate Action service, who reported drug trafficking at the location.
Police officers from the local station went to the apartment building to investigate the complaint. In the ground floor stairwell, they discovered a white bag. When a constable inadvertently stepped on a button that was integrated into the mechanism, it was activated, causing a powerful explosion.
What was found inside the bag
According to Dikastiko.gr, the white bag contained drugs, precision scales and an improvised explosive device consisting of a detonator, remote control and explosive material. The findings were immediately sent to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation for thorough examination, so as to determine the exact wiring of the mechanism and the manner of its activation.
Bomb disposal experts from TEEM (Explosive Device Disposal Unit) arrived at the scene, who collected the remains and conducted checks throughout the apartment building. No other suspicious object or similar mechanism was found. EKAB ambulances arrived at the scene in approximately five minutes and transported the injured parties.
The two most likely scenarios
According to ERTnews, the authorities are treating the incident as a matter of common criminal law connected to drug trafficking. The possibility of a terrorist act has been temporarily ruled out, and for this reason the investigation was undertaken by officers from the Internal Affairs Service, known as the "Greek FBI".
The first scenario being examined is that someone deliberately left the bag with the explosive device in the stairwell, with the intention of trapping a specific person — either a resident of the apartment building or someone from a neighbouring building. In this context, the Directorate of Criminal Investigation is examining how exactly the mechanism was planned to be activated in order to strike the recipient of the bag.
The second scenario concerns a person who wanted to dispose of the bag containing explosives, abandoned it at the location and subsequently disappeared. According to this version, the explosion was not pre-planned to target the specific victim, but resulted from accidental contact with the mechanism.
The authorities are awaiting the results of the criminal investigation examination to determine which of the two scenarios is confirmed by the evidence.
Source: Dikastiko.gr