Explosion in Kalamata tavern kills three

At the time of the explosion the tavern was operating and there were patrons who were saved by the wall separating the kitchen from the dining area which contained a large part of the blast wave.

The incident took place yesterday, at 8:45 pm, on the day of the local feast of Kalamata, for the Hypapante, the presentation of the Savior.

When the alarm was sounded for the "Dionysos" tavern, a large fire fighting force rushed to the spot, extinguished the fire and helped to secure the people there.

"There are three dead women aged 35 to 50. The two unfortunate women were working in the tavern and the third was the wife of the owner of the tavern. At that time there were five patrons who managed to get out of the shop without being injured, "said the director of the Kalamata Fire Brigade, Dimitris Georganas.

Despite his efforts, the worst had happened. When they entered the kitchen, they found that three unconscious women were there . They were transported by ambulance to the General Hospital of Kalamata. There, they were found to have succumbed to the burns they had suffered.

The owner of the burning tavern and a 27-year-old worker who had minor injuries were also hospitalized.

The first unconfirmed information attributes the tragedy to the ignition of a gas canister in the store's kitchen, but the final reports are expected from the Fire Brigade.