The death toll from Tuesday’s powerful earthquake that rocked Albania has reached 39, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced on Thursday, TASS reported citing the Albanian Telegraph Agency.
The prime minister also cautioned the country’s mass media against circulating fake news and rumors.
According to earlier reports, 35 people were killed and more than 650 were injured. About 45 people were rescued from the debris. First responders continue search and rescue operations.
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter was located 10 km northwest of the city of Shijak near Tirana. The earthquake’s depth was 10 km. The quake’s jolt could be felt in the capital city of Tirana, and even as far as North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Greece. In addition, tremors reached some southern Italian provinces.
This earthquake turned out to be the second powerful one in Albania this season. In early September, about 300 cases of seismic activity had been recorded in a 24-hour period, the strongest of them having been a 5.8 magnitude earthquake.
