The four Americans killed in a horrific explosion in Greece that levelled a residential building have been identified, as their heartbroken family are left desperately searching for answers.
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family → kill → answers
Klajd Hoxha, 31, woke up on Friday morning and it was like any other day.
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it → wake → day
His siblings, Florida and Florin, were set to fly home from Athens to New York on Friday afternoon- until his parents received a devastating call.
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parents → set → call
An explosion had demolished the two-story Airbnb that his older brother and sister had rented in Plaka at around 7.30am on Friday morning, killing six people.
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brother → demolish → people
Klajd's sister Florida, 34, was celebrating her marriage to Ian Kirkpatrick, 37, which took place just 25 days before the disaster struck.
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disaster → celebrate → place
'We heard a call from the US Embassy in Greece, the call came to my parents and Eris's parents,' Klajd told the Daily Mail.
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Klajd → hear → Mail
'I immediately got in the car...
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I → get → car
I was reading, just trying to, kind deal with the despair, the pain, the anxiety.'
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I → read → despair
Klajd Hoxha, 31, (seen left) was devastated after hearing that his siblings, Florida (center right) and Florin (right) and their partners, were killed after an explosion caused their Airbnb in Athens to collapse on Friday
Florida, 34, (seen left) was celebrating her marriage to Ian Kirkpatrick, 37, (seen right) which took place just 25 days before the disaster struck
Florin, 36, (seen left) had been on vacation with his longtime partner Eris Cani, 39, (seen right) who was five months pregnant with their daughter and first child
Their flight home at around 3pm that same afternoon had all four family members checked in, but when Klajd called Delta confirmed that they hadn't ever boarded.
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they → see → Delta
With his fiancée Cindy, Klajd and his parents, Eris's parents and Ian's brother booked to fly to Athens on Friday night 'with a lot of hope.'
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fiancée → book → hope
'I remained hopeful that, you know, people have survived tsunamis, earthquakes, bigger things under rubble... but it was a lot of fear and a lot of sadness,' he said.
'
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he → remain → sadness
We grew up together.
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We → grow → ?
I worked with my brother every day.
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I → work → brother
We spoke every day....
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We → speak → ?
There was a connection that was really just unparalleled.
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that → be → ?
But as they prepared to land in Greece, Cindy turned to him and said, 'I wanted to look you in the eye and tell you the truth' as two Americans had been confirmed dead underneath the building.
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Americans → prepare → building
'I went to the bathroom for ten minutes...
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I → go → minutes
I just said, regretfully, I hate you, God.
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I → say → you
I can't believe you're doing this to me.
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you → believe → me
And I stayed there saying that,' he continued.
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he → stay → that
The anxiety-riddled family met with members of the US Embassy in Greece, who heartbreakingly had to say that 'most likely' their children were killed in the explosion.
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children → riddle → explosion
'We kind of understood, you know, this is real.
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this → understand → ?
It's real life,' Klajd said.
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Klajd → say → ?
An explosion had demolished the two-story Airbnb that his older brother and sister had rented in Plaka at around 7.30am on Friday morning, killing six people
The four were set to fly home at around 3pm on Friday afternoon and all had checked in, but when Klajd called Delta confirmed that they hadn't ever boarded
Florida and Ian had married just less than a month before the incident where their family 'celebrated their love and joy,' before they had gone on a 'mini-moon' to Mexico
Around him, his family burst into tears and they screamed silently in despair feeling the 'pure devastation' of losing their loved ones.
'I mean, I've lost two of my siblings and two of my siblings-in-law, essentially my half of my family.
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I → demolish → family
It's now more than half of my family,' he continued, noting that his love for Greek tragedy films felt 'kind of ironic' as he stood there in grief.
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he → continue → grief
Klajd said the four had gone on the trip as part of a nearly annual vacation for Florin and Eris, and he himself had been invited to go with his fiancé.
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he → say → fiancé
'I might have been on this trip as well and might have been, you know, it's a devastating thought to even think about, at least from my parents perspective, I just say I can't, I can't imagine what they would would have done, you know?' he added.
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he → know → what
The heartbroken brother said his older brother was expecting to welcome his first child in just a few months.
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brother → say → months
They never really wanted a wedding.
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They → want → wedding
But Eris was pregnant, she was five months pregnant expecting their first child, a daughter,' Klajd said.
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Klajd → expect → child
'
Florida and Ian had married just less than a month before the incident where their family 'celebrated their love and joy,' before they had gone on a 'mini-moon' to Mexico.
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they → marry → Mexico
Local authorities are still investigating the devastating incident.
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authorities → investigate → incident
It is believed that the explosion was sparked by a gas leak on the building's second floor
Eris, a a clinical infectious diseases pharmacist and Assistant Professor at Touro College of Pharmacy, was said to be a 'gentle, gentle soul'
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Eris → believe → Pharmacy
The grief-stricken brother said he had spoken to his siblings just the night before, and their family had been in touch with all four of them all week.
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family → stricken → them
'Both my parents spoke to them every day.
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parents → speak → them
Eris's parents spoke to her every day,' he added.
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he → speak → her
US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle announced on Saturday that she was 'deeply saddened' to learn that the US tourists were killed on Friday in Athens.
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tourists → announce → Athens
'My thoughts and prayers are with the families and the loved ones of those killed and injured in this horrific incident.
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thoughts → love → incident
I extend my deepest appreciation to the Greek first responders who worked tirelessly at the scene,' Guilfoyle wrote.
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Guilfoyle → extend → scene
'The US Embassy is providing consular assistance and support to the victims’ families.
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Embassy → provide → families
…and 42 more, not listed.
The Aporia
