Athens night club damaged by bomb blast

Police in Greece said a powerful bomb has exploded outside a closed night club in Athens, causing no injuries, in an attack linked with criminal extortion groups.

A police statement said the pre-dawn blast occurred just before 4am local time today near the city centre.

The explosion was heard across southern Athens and severely damaged the club's facade.

The investigation is being handled by the police department responsible for extortionists, who have carried out several similar attacks in recent years.

Yesterday, suspected radical anarchists exploded a strong bomb outside an Athens administrative court, causing severe damage but no injuries.

A warning call before the blast allowed police to evacuate the area.