- Fire severely damaged Athens 2004 Olympic badminton hall as its roof collapsed
- Nearly 40 firefighters and 13 vehicles contained the fire late Sunday
- Fire was controlled by early Monday with no injuries reported
Fire has severely damaged a badminton hall built for the Athens 2004 Olympics, causing the roof to cave in.
The fire department said it sent nearly 40 firefighters and 13 vehicles to contain the fire, which started late Sunday, inside the hall, which had not been used for several years.
It took until early Monday to control the flames, the department said.
There were no injuries reported. The badminton hall is situated in a park popular with local residents.
The complex, originally built as a temporary venue, cost over 20 million euros ($23 million). It was leased as a private concert hall after the Olympics at a cost of another 16 million euros, hosting shows including Cats, Mamma Mia! and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Greece's highest administrative court in 2012 ruled that the venue contravened building regulations and should be demolished. The venue's 20-year lease had expired in April, the city of Athens said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
