Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 27 november 2019
Rescuers comb building rubble after Albanian quake kills 18

By LLAZAR SEMINI and work slowly because there
VISAR KRYEZIU is a high risk of further col-
THUMANE, Albania (AP) — lapse, endangering not
Rescue crews with excava- only residents, but also
tors searched for survivors those trapped, and the res-
trapped in toppled apart- cuers themselves."
ment buildings and hotels Seismologist Rrapo Orme-
Tuesday after a powerful ni of Albania's Institute of
pre-dawn earthquake in Geosciences, Energy, Wa-
Albania killed at least 18 ter and Environment, said a
people and injured more 6.4 quake was considered
than 600. a strong one.
The magnitude-6.4 quake "Damage at the epicenter
was felt across the southern will be considerable be-
Balkans and was followed cause of its high energy,
by multiple aftershocks, the magnitude it has," Or-
with several above mag- meni said. "Such quakes
nitude 5. In nearby Bosnia, are felt in a wider area due
another temblor with a to (their) major depth and
preliminary magnitude of People stand next to a damaged building after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Durres, western magnitude. It has been felt
5.4 struck southeast of the Albania, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. all around the territory of our
capital Sarajevo, causing Associated Press country but also abroad,
only minor damage. up to Bulgaria, Bosnia, Italy
The quake in Albania showed footage in the Hours later, live TV footage ening injuries. and other (countries)."
knocked down apartment early hours after the quake showed people cheering "It is a dramatic moment The quake was also felt in
buildings and hotels while of a young boy being res- as another child was found where we should preserve neighboring Kosovo, Mon-
people slept, and rescue cued from a collapsed alive in a collapsed build- calm, (and) stay alongside tenegro, North Macedo-
crews worked into the eve- building in the coastal town ing in Durres where a body each other to cope with nia, Greece, and parts of
ning to free people be- of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 had been located ear- this shock," Prime Minister southern Serbia.
lieved trapped. There was miles) west of the capital Ti- lier. In total, 43 people had Edi Rama said. Authorities called on peo-
no indication as to how rana. An excavator moved been rescued from the rub- The U.S. Geological Sur- ple in the most affected
many people might still a broken slab of concrete ble of buildings by Tuesday vey said the quake, which areas to stay out of their
be buried in the rubble, as and the boy cried and evening. struck just before 4 a.m. lo- homes and avoid driving
neighboring countries and shouted in pain as local Health Minister Ogerta Ma- cal time, had an epicen- to allow emergency ve-
European Union nations men pulled mangled rein- nastirliu said more than 600 ter 30 kilometers (19 miles) hicles free access. Many
sent search-and-rescue forcement bars out of the people had been treated northwest of the capital, Ti- residents reported cracks in
crews to help. way trying to try to free his for injuries, including nine rana, at a depth of 20 kilo- their apartment walls.
Local television stations leg from the rubble. hospitalized with life-threat- meters (12 miles). Scores of All government agencies
aftershocks were recorded, were on alert and "inten-
including three with pre- sively working to save lives
liminary magnitudes of be- at the fatal spots in Durres
tween 5.1 and 5.4. and Thumane," Rama said.
The worst-hit areas were About 400 soldiers were set-
Durres, where 11 of the ting up tents in Durres and
dead were found in col- in Fushe Kruje near Thu-
lapsed buildings, and the mane in the north to house
northern town of Thumane, survivors left homeless by
where another five bodies the quake.
were pulled from the rub- Rama said neighboring
ble, the Defense Ministry countries, the European
said. In total at least three Union and the United States
hotels, a residential villa had offered help. By Tues-
and an apartment building day evening, rescue teams
collapsed in Durres, and from neighboring Kosovo,
one apartment building in Montenegro, Italy, Greece
Thumane. and Romania had arrived.
One person died after Serbia, North Macedonia,
jumping from his home to Croatia, Hungary, Germa-
escape in Kurbin, 50 kilo- ny, France, Estonia, Turkey
meters (30 miles) north of and the Czech Republic
the capital, while another also offered help, while the
person was killed on a road EU delegation to Albania
that collapsed in the north- said additional EU assets
ern town of Lezha. were on standby should
"Search and rescue work they be needed.
continues at all sites where "My thoughts are with the
buildings have collapsed," victims and all the people
Defense Minister Olta affected by the disaster,"
Xhacka said in a televised EU Commissioner for Hu-
statement. "But these are manitarian Aid and Crisis
extremely difficult opera- Management Christos Styli-
tions, where you have to anides said.q