An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 and an aftershock only slightly weaker shook the Albanian port town of Durres on Saturday, rocking buildings there and in the capital Tirana and sending residents rushing into the streets and parks for safety, Trend reports citing Reuters.
The Defence Ministry said it was the most powerful quake in Albania in the last 30 years.
“All our neighbors came out screaming. Thank God it did not last long - about 20 seconds. It was a nightmare on the 10th floor. I don’t remember a more powerful one than this,” a pensioner in Tirana called Agim, 67, told Reuters.
Health Minister Ogerta Manastirliu said 68 people had been treated for injuries in Tirana and Durres. Most were hurt while dashing out of their homes in panic.
Many of them have been discharged after treatment, she said.
“Fewer people are coming to the hospitals (after the first rush),” Manastirliu told reporters.
In the region of Tirana, 48 houses and three apartment buildings had suffered cracks, while in Durres region 42 houses and four apartment buildings were damaged, Defence Minister Olta Xhacka told a news conference.