Suspicious bag prompts brief security alert in central Athens
Police cordoned off a central Athens street on Monday after a black bag was found, but lifted the alert about an hour later once nothing was found.
Greek police cordoned off the junction of Panepistimiou and Omirou streets in central Athens on Monday afternoon after a suspicious black bag was found, news site NewsIT reported. The discovery prompted an immediate response from the emergency services, Albanian outlet BalkanWeb reported.
Access to the city centre was difficult for at least an hour, with Panepistimiou Street closed from its junction with Amerikis Street, Newsbomb reported. Police and fire crews were sent to the scene while officers worked to establish what the bag contained and rule out any danger, according to NewsIT.
BalkanWeb said there was no immediate official information on the bag's contents or on why it had been left at the junction. The alert ended shortly after 6pm local time, when officers who had been at the scene confirmed nothing was found, News247 reported.
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What we know
- Official · Greek police (via NewsIT) Police cordoned off the junction of Panepistimiou and Omirou streets in central Athens on Monday after finding a suspicious black bag, NewsIT reported.
- 1 outlet · Newsbomb The area was closed for roughly an hour, with drivers and pedestrians told to avoid it, Newsbomb said.
- Official · Greek police (via News247) The alert ended shortly after 6pm local time once nothing was found inside the bag, News247 reported.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The closure disrupted one of central Athens's busiest junctions for about an hour during the Monday evening commute, before officers confirmed the bag posed no danger and reopened the street.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Newsbomb: Συναγερμός στο κέντρο της Αθήνας για ύποπτο αντικείμενο
- NewsIT: Συναγερμός στο κέντρο της Αθήνας – Εντοπίστηκε ύποπτη μαύρη σακούλα
- News247: Λήξη συναγερμού για το ύποπτο αντικείμενο στο κέντρο της Αθήνας
- BalkanWeb: Alarm në qendër të Athinës, policia rrethon zonën pas gjetjes së një objekti të dyshimtë
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in central Athens?
- Police found a suspicious black bag at the corner of Panepistimiou and Omirou streets and cordoned off the area, NewsIT reported.
- Was the object dangerous?
- No, the alert was lifted shortly after 6pm once nothing was found, News247 reported.
- How long was the area closed?
- For about an hour, according to Newsbomb.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.