Many residents in Albania’s capital of Tirana and the port city of Durres have not gone back to their homes after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake injured 105 people and damaged hundreds of buildings.
Authorities say the Saturday afternoon quake was followed by more than 100 aftershocks. It also damaged about 600 homes and temporarily knocked out power and water facilities in Tirana, Durres and some other western and central districts.
Many people fled their homes when the quake hit at 4:04 p.m., with at least 500 spending the night in temporary shelters.
Experts on Sunday inspected damaged homes and buildings and raised more emergency tents. Defense Minister Olta Xhacka, speaking at a Cabinet meeting, said “luckily oil wells were not damaged.”
Prime Minister Edi Rama said he had phone calls from his Italian, French, German and other European counterparts offering assistance.
Johannes Hahn, European Union’s budget and administration commissioner and former enlargement one, tweeted that “#EU immediately offered assistance.”
Located along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, Albania is earthquake-prone and registers seismic activity every few days.
