Couple found dead in car inside closed Piraeus garage; exhaust fumes suspected

Discovery of the victims

A 28-year-old lawyer and his 24-year-old partner, a trainee lawyer, were found dead inside a car parked in a closed garage at a residence on Milos Street in Piraeus on the morning of Tuesday, 14 July 2026. The father of the 28-year-old made the discovery shortly after 9:00 a.m. when he went down to the garage and found the couple unconscious inside the vehicle. He immediately alerted the police and the National Emergency Aid Centre (EKAV) and attempted to perform CPR, but paramedics who arrived at the scene confirmed both individuals had already died.

With the shouting I realised something was wrong. The girl's mother was shouting. She was saying 'I've lost my girl.' A great tragedy.

How the deaths likely occurred

Investigators are focusing on the possibility that exhaust fumes accumulated inside the closed garage and entered the vehicle's cabin through the air conditioning system. The car was found with its engine running and the air conditioning switched on, while the garage door was closed. Authorities have ruled out criminal activity, as neither victim bore visible external injuries. The forensic pathologist's preliminary assessment points to death caused by engine exhaust fumes, with carbon monoxide poisoning being examined as the probable cause.

If the engine remains running for a long time and the exhaust gases cannot escape to the outside environment because the garage door is closed, then they can enter the cabin through the air conditioning, and death can result.

The victims

Greek media identified the deceased as Iasonas, a 28-year-old lawyer who lived in the building where the tragedy occurred, and Anastasia, his 24-year-old partner who was at the start of her legal career as a trainee. Iasonas worked at a large law firm and was an active member of the Athens Bar Association football team. Neighbours described him as well-liked in the area. The deaths have plunged both families and the local community into mourning.

I went down late, around 10:30 to 11. I saw the father and the mother. They had left the car open and with the fumes something probably happened. The car running and the garage closed, you understand...

The air conditioning factor

Experts explained that the air recirculation button alone would not have been sufficient to protect the couple once the garage became saturated with exhaust gases. While recirculation mode can offer brief protection by blocking outside air intake, after a few minutes the system begins drawing in external air, including the toxic fumes that had filled the enclosed space. The forensic examination and toxicology tests are expected to determine precisely which gases the two inhaled and how they lost consciousness.

If we find ourselves in a space that is already full and saturated with exhaust gases, pressing the air conditioning recirculation button is not enough to save us. It protects us for the first five minutes. After an hour, the air recirculation will start drawing from outside and from the exhaust gases, and we inevitably inhale the poisonous gases.

Next steps in the investigation

Authorities are treating the incident as a fatal accident, with no indications of foul play or self-harm. The exact cause of death will be clarified through a full post-mortem examination and the official report from the competent authorities. The investigation continues into the precise sequence of events that led the two young people to remain exposed to the gas for a prolonged period inside the sealed garage.