Sawt Falasteen - Greece probes factory fire as fifth victim found

The explosion early on Monday, caught on nearby security cameras, gutted an entire section of the Violanta factory outside the city of Trikala, 245 kilometres (150 miles) northwest of Athens.

"The case will be investigated to the end... possibly, even today, we may have an initial picture of what caused the fire," Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis told state TV ERT.

Five women died and company staff told local media the toll would probably have been higher had other staff not been taking a break at the time.

Four of the victims were found soon after the blast but the fifth was only recovered on Tuesday morning as pockets of fire made the operation difficult, the fire department said.

The deaths have shocked local communities around Trikala, which provide much of the company's workforce.

Colleagues and relatives said the women who died had chosen to work the night shift so they could be with their children during the day.

The Violanta company in a statement insisted it "strictly applies protocols and procedures, adhering to all measures for the safety of our staff and facilities".

"We are mourning five of our own," the company said, adding that it was "fully" cooperating with the investigating authorities.

The blaze is one of the deadliest industrial accidents in Greece for many years.

A local trade union on Monday said it had never been allowed to inspect the facility that burnt down.

Over 200 people died in work-related accidents in 2025, according to the federation of technical company employees.

In 1992, 15 people died in a refinery explosion in the industrial zone of Elefsina, near the port of Piraeus.

Three people had died in a dynamite factory explosion in Itea, central Greece, in 2022.

The Violanta plant in Trikala, the company's first and biggest, produced 12,500 tonnes of biscuits, cookies and wafers per year, according to the company website.

The brand is among the fastest growing in Greece, with a major presence in shops, and exports to around 40 countries.

H.Darwish--SF-PST