THESSALONIKI – A 62-year-old man was apprehended at the 424 Military Hospital in Thessaloniki on Monday, after he locked himself in a car with his twin toddlers, a boy and a girl aged 2.5 years old, and an open gas canister. The man’s former wife and the mother of the twins reported the incident on Sunday night, prompting police intervention. The police arrived just in time to break the windscreen and rescue the children and their father, as they were all in a semi-unconscious state due to the strong smell of gas.

The children were taken to Ippokratio General Hospital by ambulance, where they are being treated and are expected to recover fully. One of the police officers involved in the rescue was also affected by the gas and received first aid.

The man, reported to be a retired air force officer, is suspected of attempting to harm himself and the children, and will face charges. Police found a second gas canister in the car’s boot, still sealed. A preliminary investigation is being conducted by the Thessaloniki Police Crimes Against Life department.