15 dead and 28 rescued from collapsed buildings (13:00)
Albania
26 Nov 2019
/ 12:54
TIRANA. The news at 13:00 Greek time was that 28 people had been pulled out of collapsed buildings following the earthquake and 15 people had been confirmed dead.
At least 150 people with light injuries are being treated in hospitals in Tirana and Durrës, the town that was hardest hit, according to Health Minister Ogerta Manastirliu.
According to the initial estimates of the Institute of Geoscience, Energy, Water & Environment, the earthquake had a strength of 6.3 Richter. The epicentre was between the capital and Durrës and not very deep (10km).
The first aftershock was also strong - 5.5 Richter - with its epicentre in Cape Rhodon. There then followed over 100 aftershocks, which experts say is normal.
The main tremor was felt in a large part of the Balkans, as far away as Sarajevo in Bosnia (400km away) and Novi Sad in Serbia (700km away) according to reports in local media and on social networks.
There was a 5.6 Richter earthquake in the same area on 21 September which caused damage to about 500 houses - some of them completely destroyed. At the time, the Albanian Ministry of Defence said it was the country's strongest earthquake for 20 - 30 years.
Albanian authorities have said that there is no traffic on the main arteries and that inspections have determined that there is no damage to bridges in the northern part of the country.
Messages of support have been sent to the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama by Prime Ministers and Presidents of other Balkan and European Countries according to his media posts.
On Twitter Mr. Rama said that the Montenegro Prime Minister Duško Marković had contacted him and is sending a special team to Albania to assist those that are injured. Mr. Rama also said that a special emergency services team is coming from Serbia and posted part of the message from the Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
"Kosovo President Thaçi contacted me earlier and he is sending special KFS teams, trained for emergencies, to help rescue people from the collapsed buildings."
In another post Mr. Rama said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be sending special emergency teams as will Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Boyko Borisov, Prime Ministers of Greece and Bulgaria. French President Emmanuel Macron and "all Albania's friends" have expressed their willingness to help the country.
See more photos here.
Sources: Albanian News Agency / Kathimerini / APE-MPE / Reuters
According to the initial estimates of the Institute of Geoscience, Energy, Water & Environment, the earthquake had a strength of 6.3 Richter. The epicentre was between the capital and Durrës and not very deep (10km).
The first aftershock was also strong - 5.5 Richter - with its epicentre in Cape Rhodon. There then followed over 100 aftershocks, which experts say is normal.
The main tremor was felt in a large part of the Balkans, as far away as Sarajevo in Bosnia (400km away) and Novi Sad in Serbia (700km away) according to reports in local media and on social networks.
There was a 5.6 Richter earthquake in the same area on 21 September which caused damage to about 500 houses - some of them completely destroyed. At the time, the Albanian Ministry of Defence said it was the country's strongest earthquake for 20 - 30 years.
Albanian authorities have said that there is no traffic on the main arteries and that inspections have determined that there is no damage to bridges in the northern part of the country.
Messages of support have been sent to the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama by Prime Ministers and Presidents of other Balkan and European Countries according to his media posts.
On Twitter Mr. Rama said that the Montenegro Prime Minister Duško Marković had contacted him and is sending a special team to Albania to assist those that are injured. Mr. Rama also said that a special emergency services team is coming from Serbia and posted part of the message from the Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
"Kosovo President Thaçi contacted me earlier and he is sending special KFS teams, trained for emergencies, to help rescue people from the collapsed buildings."
In another post Mr. Rama said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be sending special emergency teams as will Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Boyko Borisov, Prime Ministers of Greece and Bulgaria. French President Emmanuel Macron and "all Albania's friends" have expressed their willingness to help the country.
See more photos here.
Sources: Albanian News Agency / Kathimerini / APE-MPE / Reuters
