Explosion at Greek Factory Kills Five Workers

An explosion and subsequent fire at a biscuit factory near the central Greek city of Trikala claimed the lives of five female workers on the night shift early on January 26, authorities reported. The incident at the Violanta plant, located about 200 miles north of Athens, also injured seven others, including a firefighter, though none of the injuries were life-threatening.

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours with the help of 53 personnel, 16 trucks, and 10 additional vehicles. The explosion gutted much of the facility, where 13 workers were on duty at the time. Eight of them managed to escape, but the five victims, all women, were trapped inside. Initial recovery efforts on January 26 yielded four bodies from the wreckage, with parts of a fifth discovered later that day near the same area. Officials planned DNA testing to formally identify the remains.

Investigators suspect the blast originated near the factory's ovens, which run continuously to produce items like wholewheat cookies, chocolate-sandwich biscuits, and cereal bars. The company, a locally based business with national distribution, stated that the cause remained unclear. Arson investigators and disaster...