A natural gas explosion in Athens, Greece, killed four New Yorkers on Friday, Sept. 25, including two Eastchester residents and two of their family members.

The victims were Florin Hoxha, 36, his wife, Eris Cani, his sister, Florida Hoxha, 34, and her husband, Ian Kirkpatrick, 37. Greek fire service investigators believe a gas leak caused the explosion in the city's Plaka district near the Acropolis, as first reported by News 12 Westchester.

The two couples were staying in a rental apartment on Lysikratous Street. They were sleeping when the blast struck at about 7:30 a.m. local time, according to Greek City Times. They had been due to check out at 11 a.m. and catch a 4 p.m. flight home to the United States.

Eastchester Town Supervisor Anthony S. Colavita said the town was heartbroken by the tragedy and committed to helping the family with anything they need, according to News 12 Westchester.

The Westchester County Board of Legislators observed a moment of silence at its Tuesday, Sept. 29, meeting. Board Chairman Vedat Gashi, who knew Florida Hoxha from her work on his campaign, called her loss devastating for the county.

"I was deeply impressed by her, and I was excited to see where her passion and drive would take her," Gashi told the New York Post. "That future was taken far too soon."

Florida Hoxha grew up in the Bronx and graduated from Emory University and the City University of New York School of Law. She spent five years as a senior attorney at the New York Legal Assistance Group, where she represented immigrants at risk of eviction and fought predatory scams, according to ABC7.

NYLAG's chief executive said in a statement that colleagues and clients considered her a bright light of hope in their work.

She and Kirkpatrick married Aug. 30 on Long Island. Kirkpatrick, formerly of Huntington, worked at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.

Florin Hoxha co-founded the construction company Prufock Builders with his brother, Clyde. Cani was an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Touro College of Pharmacy in Manhattan. She was five and a half months pregnant.

Two non-American owners of the building, British national Edmond Hings, 78, and his Greek wife, Athena Papaprescou, 77, also died in the blast. About 30 firefighters and three search dogs took part in the recovery, according to ABC45. The U.S. State Department confirmed the four American deaths.

The victims' parents traveled to Athens to await the return of the bodies for burial in New York.