Earthquake rattles the country, Xhaçka: Unfortunately there are casualties, but the whole country is standing up

Published: Tuesday, 26 November 2019 11:24

 

Dear citizens,

This is a hard time for all Albanians, whether they are in areas that were hit by the powerful earthquake, or in safe areas with no consequences.

The event is very serious indeed. The situation is difficult. Unfortunately, there were not only many damaged buildings but also many injured people and casualties as well. So far, 7 citizens have been confirmed to have lost their lives. It is our hope and the prayer of every Albanian citizen that this number does not increase further. Our hearts and minds are with all those citizens who have not been able to restore contact with their relatives yet.

It is a terrible moment, but I would like to tell all the citizens that it is not time to mourn. This is a moment to show solidarity, to help each other, to calmly manage a tragic and extremely difficult situation. I would also like to thank the citizens of Durrës, Golem, Kavaja, Thumana and any other city affected by the earthquake, who have done so much to help their relatives and neighbors and also support the emergency forces by saving lives.

The main quake was recorded at 3:55 am, 6.3 magnitude, with an epicentre in Durrës at a depth of 10 km.

Another major 5.5 Richter quake was recorded in the Cape of Rodon after the first stroke. There have been marked more than 100 aftershocks since then and the situation remains active.

Durrës and Thumana are the two most hit localities suffering material damages and casualties, till now 7 lives lost, as confirmed up to this moment according to preliminary information. In all these areas, search and rescue work continues in all the collapsed buildings. As you have been able to follow through the media, these are extremely difficult operations, where you have to work slowly as there is a high risk that the buildings may suffer further collapse or slide, endangering not only the residents who may be trapped, but also the rescue forces.

The whole government and the entire civil emergency management structure are on the ground. We have been along with the Prime Minister, AF, and State Police in the affected areas since the beginning. Intensified firefighting forces and auto ambulances are present as well and are working in the worst hit areas. Firefighters and health care teams, from all regions, are headed to Durrës, where the situation is worse.

There are 400 servicemen currently on the ground, but the entire AAF have already been in full standby.

There are over 1,000 State Police officers on alert and several hundred medical personnel, but it is a difficult situation, either because of the large number of damaged buildings or their geographical reach. It is a situation and event of such magnitude that any country would find it difficult to manage alone.

The good news is that we are not alone. All allies have provided emergency relief. As our teams continue their work, specialized search and rescue teams from Italy are heading to Albania and now that we are talking expert groups from Turkey have also been set in motion. Our brothers in Kosovo are also sending specialized KSF teams to assist and all Allies have provided assistance. The EU is ready to engage in the Civil Defense Mechanism as well.

I said above that the citizens have provided tremendous help through their solidarity. They are the real heroes of this day, but the greatest help I ask you to give us now is to limit the number of car movements and give emergency vehicles access. In the early hours after the main quake, emergency forces encountered serious difficulties reaching the heavily damaged localities due to road congestion.

I would like to strongly urge all citizens whose homes have been damaged to avoid staying in these facilities. It is very important that damages are verified so that there is an accurate prognosis by their safety experts.

I also call on the citizens to keep serene and calm. Even today, unfortunately, there has been a lot of damage caused by panic. This is a situation where there is a need for serenity, solidarity and calmness.

Teaching today in all schools, universities, kindergartens has been suspended and will continue to continue to be suspended tomorrow as well. It is an opportunity for families to come together to ensure especially the youngest who have suffered the most the fear and trauma. It is also an opportunity for students from other cities of Albania studying in Tirana and Durrës to return to their families because we understand very well the anxiety and fear every that family, who has relatives today especially in Durrës, Lezha or Tirana, has gone through.

For a preview of the situation, which I would like to highlight is being updated minute by minute:

So far, there have been 135 injured people and 12 confirmed hospitalizations in the Durrës hospital. 60 people were admitted in TUHC but the figures are increasing.
There have been confirmed 7 casualties, 3 in Durrës, 2 in Thumana, one in Lezha and one in Kurbin.

Rescue operations continue and there is still a number of citizens supposed to be under the rubble of several collapsed buildings in Durrës. We pray that they will be in good health, and our thoughts and hearts are close to their families. We will do everything possible to save them.

It is premature and impossible to give you even a preliminary figure of damaged buildings, because we are still collecting reports from every county and we will keep you informed hour after hour throughout the day.

Be courageous! The whole state is standing up. We will do our best to cope with this difficult situation together!