Greece: Ex-PM Injured in Car Blast

VOA News
25 May 2017 (2:53PM)

Former Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos was injured Thursday when a bomb exploded inside his vehicle in Athens, officials said.

Two Bank of Greece employees in the car were also injured. All three were conscious and hospitalized in stable condition, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said, calling the blast an "attack."

"With all out heart, we wish Mr. Papademos and his companions a speedy recovery. The prime minister has been updated about all the events by the minister of public order and he will continue to receive updates,'' Tzanakopoulos said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Papademos, 69,served as Greece's prime minister for six months in 2011 and 2012 after socialist George Papandreou resigned during the debt crisis to make way for a national unity government.

A respected economist and former European Central Bank deputy governor, Papademos steered the country through tough austerity measures and was credited with preventing the collapse of the country's international bailout at the time.