Explosion and Fire at Greek Cookie Factory Claim Four Lives, One Person Still Missing
A devastating blast and subsequent fire at the Violanta biscuit factory in central Greece has left four workers dead and one person unaccounted for. The incident occurred during the night shift, with authorities investigating what caused the explosion near the ovens that operate around the clock.
The explosion, which was reported to have occurred late on Monday night, resulted in a massive fire that gutted the factory. Fire crews battled the blaze for hours before recovering four bodies from the destroyed building. Six other workers and one firefighter were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, saying that a fire department team was already examining the causes of the tragedy to determine responsibility. The factory, which is considered modern, has been under investigation.
The incident has sent shockwaves through Greece's industrial community, with this being one of the country's most fatal industrial accidents in recent years. In 1992, 15 people died in a refinery explosion near Piraeus. The Violanta plant produces over 12,000 tons of biscuits and cookies annually and exports to around 40 countries.
The company released a statement saying that it was still unsure about the cause of the incident and asked for support during this difficult time. Authorities are working to determine what caused the explosion and will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Rescue efforts at the scene continue, with investigators working to determine what triggered the blast.
A devastating blast and subsequent fire at the Violanta biscuit factory in central Greece has left four workers dead and one person unaccounted for. The incident occurred during the night shift, with authorities investigating what caused the explosion near the ovens that operate around the clock.
The explosion, which was reported to have occurred late on Monday night, resulted in a massive fire that gutted the factory. Fire crews battled the blaze for hours before recovering four bodies from the destroyed building. Six other workers and one firefighter were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, saying that a fire department team was already examining the causes of the tragedy to determine responsibility. The factory, which is considered modern, has been under investigation.
The incident has sent shockwaves through Greece's industrial community, with this being one of the country's most fatal industrial accidents in recent years. In 1992, 15 people died in a refinery explosion near Piraeus. The Violanta plant produces over 12,000 tons of biscuits and cookies annually and exports to around 40 countries.
The company released a statement saying that it was still unsure about the cause of the incident and asked for support during this difficult time. Authorities are working to determine what caused the explosion and will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Rescue efforts at the scene continue, with investigators working to determine what triggered the blast.
it's crazy that one person is still missing tho... i mean, what if they're trapped in there somewhere? 
the factory is modern and all, but accidents can still happen, you know? 
at least the fire department was on the scene pretty quickly to try and contain the damage. 12k tons of biscuits a year? 
that's a lot... i guess it's not about the biscuit production or anything, it's just about keeping those workers safe while they're working. 
the fact that authorities are still investigating is good tho, at least we might get some answers soon.
it's crazy to think about how something so normal like making cookies can turn into such a disaster 
i'm thinking of all the families affected by this tragedy 
hope they can find some closure soon 
. I mean, you'd think with all the safety measures in place at a factory like Violanta, it's just devastating when something like this happens 
. And 6 other workers and 1 firefighter injured too? That's just awful 
. The fact that it was during the night shift doesn't help either... hope the investigation finds out what caused it ASAP so they can prevent it from happening again 
. Total shock for Greece's industrial community, I guess...
. I mean, 4 lives lost already? That's crazy 
. And now there's one more person missing? 
Unaccounted for means my heart goes out to the families of those who went missing or were injured. Hope they get answers soon about what caused this tragedy 
.
. And yeah, 12k tons of biscuits and cookies isn't worth risking lives 
. Just terrible news all around...
. I feel bad for the families of the victims and all the workers who were injured. It's crazy to think about how a simple explosion can turn into a massive fire that destroys an entire building 
. The fact that it happened during the night shift is even more terrifying. I hope they find out what caused it soon so they can make sure something like this never happens again 
were there safety measures in place?! 
just can't believe this happened in 2025 
and we're left wondering what went wrong... should be an investigation ASAP 
. I mean, where are all these new safety regulations and technologies coming from, anyway? It feels like we're just patching holes instead of building better systems 
.
This is just so tragic 
The fact that it happened during the night shift doesn't help either - those poor guys were trying to do their job and then BAM! 
.
. 40 countries relying on this factory for their biscuit needs is crazy... hope they can figure out what went wrong & prevent this from happening again 
Red flags all over the place. The company's statement about being unsure what caused the incident just reeks of insincerity 
...