Tirana, Albania — A strong earthquake shook Albania early Tuesday, killing at least six people, injuring 150 and collapsing buildings. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.4 quake was centered 19 miles northwest of the capital, Tirana and has a depth of 12 miles.
It was the strongest quake to hit Albania in decades, the Reuters news agency reported.
Albanian President Ilir Meta said a “very dramatic” situation was unfolding in a northern town in the quake’s aftermath. He told journalists from Thumane, 22 miles north of Tirana that “the situation is very dramatic. All efforts are being done to take the people out of the ruins.”
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“Firefighters and army staff are helping residents (caught) under the rubble,” a Defense Ministry spokesperson told reporters, according to Reuters.
The Defense Ministry said a man and a woman were killed when a building collapsed in Thumane. It said another person died after jumping from his home to escape shaking from the quake in Kurbin, 30 miles north of the capital.
Another person was killed when a building collapsed in Durres, 20 miles west of Tirana, emergency officials said. Rescuers were working to take other people from the building.
The quake was felt along the Albanian coast.
Authorities reported scores of aftershocks and called on people in the most affected areas to stay out of their homes.
People reported seeing cracks in their apartment walls. People were seen leaving homes to go to open areas.
Local media reported that a restaurant was destroyed in western Durres.
At least three apartment buildings and the power distribution station were damaged in Thumane.
An earthquake in September in roughly the same area damaged hundreds of homes.
