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Albania Earthquake Kills at Least 13 Albania Earthquake Kills at Least 13
(about 2 hours later)
Emergency crews rushed to search for survivors in various cities across Albania after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Balkan nation in the early hours of Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and injuring 650.Emergency crews rushed to search for survivors in various cities across Albania after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Balkan nation in the early hours of Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and injuring 650.
The deadly quake was one of the strongest to hit Albania in decades, just two months after the country was struck by another strong quake that damaged hundred of homes. The deadly quake was one of the strongest to hit Albania in decades, just two months after the country was struck by another strong quake that damaged hundred of homes.
The earthquake on Tuesday was recorded at 3:54 a.m. about 19 miles west of Tirana, the capital, which is home to nearly 900,000 people and where residents reported that they had felt the tremors.The earthquake on Tuesday was recorded at 3:54 a.m. about 19 miles west of Tirana, the capital, which is home to nearly 900,000 people and where residents reported that they had felt the tremors.
President Ilir Meta called the situation “dramatic” as he visited Thumane, the town closest to the epicenter, where at least two people died. “We hope to overcome it with the least loss,” he wrote in a tweet that included pictures of him talking with locals and an army officer. President Ilir Meta called the situation “dramatic” as he visited Thumane, the town closest to the epicenter, where several people died. “We hope to overcome it with the least loss,” he wrote in a tweet that included pictures of him talking with locals and an army officer.
The Defense Ministry told The Associated Press that seven bodies had been recovered from the costal city of Durres, and that five others had been found in a collapsed apartment building in Thumane.The Defense Ministry told The Associated Press that seven bodies had been recovered from the costal city of Durres, and that five others had been found in a collapsed apartment building in Thumane.
Videos and pictures shared on social media showed chaotic scenes of residents rummaging through the rubble, or trying to extricate people who were trapped under collapsed buildings. In one video, a group of people tried to extract a young boy who was trapped in the debris and crying from pain.Videos and pictures shared on social media showed chaotic scenes of residents rummaging through the rubble, or trying to extricate people who were trapped under collapsed buildings. In one video, a group of people tried to extract a young boy who was trapped in the debris and crying from pain.
In Durres, one of the main cities affected by the earthquake, the seven-story Vila Palma hotel collapsed, its rubble crushing cars parked underneath it, and many other buildings were destroyed. Cracks on the walls and facades that were ripped open left other buildings in a fragile state. In Durres, one of the main cities affected by the earthquake, the seven-story Vila Palma hotel collapsed, its rubble crushing cars parked underneath. Cracks on the walls and facades that were ripped open left other buildings in a fragile state.
Many buildings on the outskirts of the city were also destroyed, said Anila Doda, a booking manager at Amfiteatri Boutique Hotel.
“It was very scary,” Ms. Doda said in an email, describing how panic ensued as relatives and friends were trying to contact one another. “We all went out on the street,” she said, adding that the electricity had gone out after the quake. “The only way to get in touch and contact people was WhatsApp.”
In a statement, Mr. Meta vowed that rescuers would “save every human life under the rubble of buildings and to help the injured.” It was unclear how many people were trapped.In a statement, Mr. Meta vowed that rescuers would “save every human life under the rubble of buildings and to help the injured.” It was unclear how many people were trapped.
More than 1.2 million people may have faced “strong” and “very strong” exposure, according to the United States Geological Survey. A government spokesman said at least 39 people had been rescued from the rubble.More than 1.2 million people may have faced “strong” and “very strong” exposure, according to the United States Geological Survey. A government spokesman said at least 39 people had been rescued from the rubble.
As the Albanian authorities requested international help, Montenegro and Serbia sent support and rescue teams, according to Prime Minister Edi Rama, who added that various leaders, including Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, were preparing to help. Emergency teams from Kosovo, Italy and Greece also joined the effort. Seismologists said that the quake and its aftershocks were felt in neighboring Montenegro, in some parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in southern Italy.
Christos Stylianides, the European commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, said the European Union was ready to offer assistance. “What we are seeing now is a very strong, very powerful sequence of earthquakes,” said Jadranka Mihaljevic, the head of engineering in the seismology department of the Institute for Hydrometeorology and Seismology in Montenegro.
The temblor in Albania on Tuesday struck two months after a 5.6-magnitude quake injured dozens of people and damaged hundreds of homes in the same area. Officials and seismologists said that quake, on Sept. 21, was the strongest to strike the country in 30 years.
Ms. Mihaljevic said the stability of the buildings in the area might have been greatly compromised by the previous earthquake, and that their fragile state could lead to increased fatalities.
As the Albanian authorities requested international help, Montenegro and Serbia sent support and rescue teams, according to Prime Minister Edi Rama, who added that various leaders, including Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, were preparing to help.
Emergency teams from Kosovo, Romania, Italy and Greece joined the effort, and European Union officials said they had reached out to Albania’s government to offer assistance.
A 5.4-magnitude quake struck southern Bosnia and Herzegovina hours after the deadly earthquake in Albania. There were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities.A 5.4-magnitude quake struck southern Bosnia and Herzegovina hours after the deadly earthquake in Albania. There were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities.
Countries in the Balkans and in southern Europe have a long history of destructive earthquakes. A 7.6-magnitude quake killed 17,000 people in Turkey in 1999; and in 2016, more than 241 people died in a 6.2-magnitude quake in central Italy, seven years after the deadly Abruzzo earthquake that left more than 300 people dead. Countries in the Balkans and in southern Europe have a long history of destructive earthquakes. In 1999, a 7.6-magnitude quake killed 17,000 people in Turkey; and in 2016, more than 241 people died in a 6.2-magnitude quake in central Italy, seven years after the deadly Abruzzo earthquake that left more than 300 people dead.
The quake in Albania on Tuesday struck two months after a 5.6-magnitude quake injured dozens of people and damaged hundreds of homes in the same area. Officials said that quake, on Sept. 21, was the strongest to strike the country in 30 years, according to Reuters. A series of deadly quakes also ravaged the region in the late 1970s, killing more than 1,500 people in Romania in 1977, dozens in Greece in 1978, and hundreds in 1979 in what was then Yugoslavia.
“The deadly 1977-1979 series was followed by a quiet period where new seismic energy was accumulating,” Ms. Mihaljevic said. “But after 40 years of relatively calm seismicity, strong quakes seem to be back.”
Iliana Magra contributed reporting.