The Fire Department has been alerted due to a large explosion that occurred, at 15:30, in a pan factory at 9 Aegidon Street, in the Panorama area of Kato Kifisia. The explosion caused a fire in the factory.

It is a factory belonging to PAL SA, the company of Palamides SA, owned by Vassilis Palamidis, husband of former minister Mina Gaga. The company manufactures cookware which is sold in retail. According to Gaga’s statements to Alpha, there are no trapped or injured workers.

According to protothema.gr, the fire is currently burning styrofoam and plastics. In fact, the Fire Department is expected to send an Erickson helicopter to wet the perimeter so that the fire does not spread.

However, indicative of the size of the fire is the fact that within minutes the fire brigade’s forces were significantly increased. The Civil Protection sent a 112 message so that residents should keep their doors and windows closed due to the smoke. “Smoke is heading to your area. Stay indoors, close doors and windows,” the message said.

There are currently 42 firefighters operating with 14 vehicles.

Video shows thick black smoke over the explosion site, with the fact that stainless steel materials are burning causing concern about toxic smog. According to the fire department as well, the intensity and extent of the smoke is alarmingly high.

At the same time, traffic chaos has been caused in the area, with traffic police noting that the side road of the National Road on the Athens-bound route at the Kaliftaki junction has been closed.

Watch video:

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Who is the company
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PAL SA is a company owned by the family of Mr. Vassilis Palamidis. The family company, which started in 1947, may have become known to the consumer for the cooking utensils it manufactures and sells in retail, but in the last 25 years or so it has changed course. It has expanded into the food packaging market and in that time has managed to become one of the major forces in the packaging of fresh food of animal origin and pre-cooked food. Not only in Greece, where the best known companies of chicken, fish, meat and so on use its packaging, but also abroad, where it sends about 85% of the production of products and materials coming out of its Kifissia factory.

As an export company, the company is active in the production of packaging materials for food industries, packers and supermarkets throughout Europe. Through its packaging materials, it has targeted the food market, which provides it with a stable field of action without any particular shocks, while ensuring a significant spread in its customer base. It currently produces products in two niche food sectors. The first concerns the classic ‘scoop’ that we all see in the market for standard meat or chicken from supermarkets. The second is a new PET packaging that protects the food inside in a controlled atmosphere extending its shelf life.

Mr. Vassilis Palamidis is the second generation of the family behind PAL SA while his children, Christos and Andreas now have a more active role.

PAL’s premises in Kifissia, in an area that nowadays exceeds 10 acres. From there every year about 4,000 containers of products are shipped abroad. The company’s customers are large food industries as well as distributors, intermediary wholesalers in various countries of the world.

The company currently employs 160 people and its turnover in 2023 was 25 million euros.