Tirana, 15 March 2008 – AENews – A major explosion shook the entire village of Gërdec in the suburb of Tirana today, around 12 o’clock. An army depot full of explosives was engulfed in a battery of explosions. The smaller explosions were followed by a major one which shook even the hill where the depot was located. The impact of the main blast was felt at an over 1 kilometer radius breaking windows and even destroying the houses in its way.

Number of deaths is not yet confirmed. Prime Minister Berisha spoke for several dozen victims.

Such was the blast sound that it was heard all the way in the center of Tirana, some 20 kilometers away. The number of casualties is estimated at over 150 people, but it is expected to rise as more people are brought into hospitals where they are being cared for. Meanwhile rescue efforts continue to bring in all those who were hurt, especially closer to the blast center.

The army depot was located close to the main Tirana-Durres motorway. The explosion was such that it affected even the vehicles that were driving by at the moment, including a bus full of people who where hurt by the flying glass debris.

A U.S. based company is reported to have been in charge of the dismantling process. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy has already issued a press release comforting those who may have been hurt.

The Albanian government authorities responded quickly to the event mobilizing all the responsible authorities and coordinating efforts. Despite all efforts to evacuate the people in the surrounding area, there are reports there are more people closer to the explosion whom could not be rescued immediately due to the ongoing explosions in the depot.

Posted by on Mar 15 2008. Filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry