Gas leak and oven explosion were possible causes for the tragedy at the Violanta factory

The tragedy occurred in the early hours of Monday, just before 4:00 a.m., following a powerful explosion that caused part of the factory to collapse.

Of the 13 employees present at the factory, eight were safely evacuated, while five went missing and were later found dead.

Experts, including electrical, chemical, and pyrotechnic specialists, have been appointed to investigate the causes of the explosion.

The temperature during the fire exceeded 1,000 degrees Celsius, causing damage to the factory’s infrastructure.

Investigations at the factory site, which is still smoking after the large fire caused by the deadly explosion, continue. New information from protothema.gr, which is on-site in Trikala, reports that the facilities had a fire safety plan filed electronically by an engineer in September 2025.

It should be noted that on Tuesday morning, the body of the fifth woman who lost her life at the Violanta factory was found. She is Agapi Bounova, who, according to reports, was a wife, mother, and grandmother.

The unfortunate woman was found near the bodies of the other three women who had been discovered first, while the ground in that specific area had not collapsed.

The tragedy occurred in the early hours of Monday when a fire broke out shortly before 4:00 a.m. in a wing of the factory. According to the Fire Department, a powerful explosion preceded the fire, contributing to the collapse of the majority of the factory and trapping five women inside. Of the 13 employees present at the time, eight were able to evacuate safely, while five women went missing and were searched for immediately after the incident.

Investigations Continue at the Scene of the Tragedy

The Arson Crimes Directorate (DAEE) has arrived at the site, collecting statements from employees who survived in order to shed light on the incident.

At the same time, two experts have been appointed from Athens to investigate the circumstances of the explosion, with an electrical engineer, a chemical engineer, and a pyrotechnic specialist analyzing the causes.

The Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Giannis Kefalogiannis, stated that cooperation with the prosecutorial authorities will continue and that the investigations will be conducted to the end to ensure a complete clarification of the events. Political parties in the country expressed their condolences to the victims, while the Mayor of Trikala proposed declaring a three-day municipal mourning period as a mark of respect for the victims.

Over 1,000 Degrees in the Factory

The noise from the explosion was so strong that it was heard even in neighboring villages, according to residents. The fire reached temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius, as evidenced by the fact that steel melted while part of the infrastructure collapsed both from the explosion and from the heat generated.

From the very beginning, the primary scenario examined for the cause of the tragedy was that of a “violent explosion”: that is, there was an undetected propane leak that, with the help of a spark (which could have been triggered even by a switch being turned on), caused the explosion. The fire followed as a consequence. Many questions arise, the main one being why the gas was not detected, whether detectors were present and operational in the facility, and when the adequacy of the systems was last checked.