Club manager admits to setting fire to claim insurance for debts

More than 20 firefighters were dispatched to tackle a blaze which broke out after at an Athens nightclub shortly after noon on Monday with the club’s 68-year-old manager later allegedly admitting to setting the blaze in a bid to claim the insurance.

Witnesses reported seeing thick black smoke billowing from the basement of the building, which is located on Syngrou Avenue, just south of the city center, as crews worked for hours to stop the flames from spreading to neighboring buildings.

The club was closed at the time and there were no reports of injuries.

According to sources, the 68-year-old manager admitted to police that he set the fire in a bid to claim the insurance payout and pay off debts.