Athens suspends classes at Grava school complex over repeated gas leak alerts

In-person classes suspended

The Athens Municipal Council voted unanimously on 8 October 2026 to halt in-person teaching across the Grava school complex starting Friday, 9 October. Mayor of Athens Haris Doukas submitted the proposal following repeated alerts concerning suspected natural gas odors on campus grounds. The facility sits on the administrative boundary between Athens and Galatsi, accommodating thousands of primary and secondary pupils across multiple schools. Remote teaching will replace physical classes on the Webex platform beginning Friday morning, following instructions from the regional education directorate. Officials scheduled the temporary closure to give specialized technical teams time to complete site audits and ensure building safety. Mayor Haris Doukas delivered a recorded announcement demanding that testing bodies deliver comprehensive technical reports before the upcoming school week begins.

The operation of the Grava school complex is suspended for tomorrow, Friday. I call on the responsible companies, the ministry, and the TEE to complete their inspections and have findings by Sunday. We do not play with our children's safety.

Prior odor alerts and network isolation

The shutdown follows three municipal interventions prompted by gas odor concerns across September and October. On 21 September 2026, technicians from gas distributor ENAON and the municipal maintenance contractor inspected the complex alongside the Building Infrastructure Directorate. Their findings indicated that no gas leak existed, identifying a damaged alarm circuit board instead. A subsequent alert occurred at midday on Friday, 2 October 2026, prompting an evacuation of the campus as emergency crews returned to investigate. Deputy Mayor for Technical Services Panagiotis-Paris Charlaftis and Deputy Mayor for Education Thomas Georgiadis monitored those inspections on site. That afternoon, the municipality instructed ENAON to cut off all gas supplies to the campus as a precautionary measure, which the utility carried out after verifying that distribution lines showed no leaks.

Mandatory certification and remote learning

Internal pipework inspections continue under the supervision of municipal engineers. Under technical regulations for internal natural gas installations, restoring fuel supply requires rigorous pressure and leakage assessments. Contractors must conduct strength and tightness evaluations along all piping between external meters and boiler rooms before applying for clearance. The Athens municipal administration confirmed that service will remain isolated until technical teams complete these tests and file the required Certificate of Strength and Tightness Inspection. Dionysis Anastasopoulos, the Regional Director of Primary and Secondary Education of Attica, clarified that remote learning via Webex will protect academic continuity while inspections proceed.

Although there is no reason for concern, as there is neither an explosion nor a gas smell, classes will take place via Webex for as long as needed. We want to be 1000% sure that no student will be in danger.

Demands from campus educators

The suspension follows public complaints published on 7 October 2026 by educators working across the Grava complex. In that published statement, teachers documented the chronology of recent odor scares and presented concrete demands regarding building infrastructure safety. Following Thursday's council vote, school directors received instructions to immediately notify parents, guardians, students, and teaching staff about the remote schedule. Educational authorities confirmed that online classes will follow each institution's existing timetable from Friday morning until further notice. Municipal officials maintain that in-person schooling will not resume until the Technical Chamber of Greece, the education ministry, and specialized utility contractors deliver verified reports by Sunday, 11 October 2026.