Albania: Death toll from Tuesday quake rises to 26

By Talha Ozturk, Fatjon Cuka and Dzihat Aliju

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - The death toll in Tuesday’s 6.4 quake in western Albania has risen to 26, with hundreds of injuries, some serious, according to officials.

The number of casualties in Thumane, adjacent to the Adriatic coastal city of Durres, is now 26, said the Defense Ministry on Wednesday.

Some 658 people are injured, including eight critically, said the Health Ministry.

Some 2,150 people are taking shelter in 148 tents set up in villages around Thumane and Durres.

The earthquake hit at 3.54 a.m. (0254GMT) Tuesday, with an epicenter 15 kilometers (9 miles) off the coast of Durres, at a depth of 38 km (23 mi).

The quake, which was felt throughout the region, caused communication problems and power cuts in Albania.

Hours later, at around 10.19 a.m. local time (0919GMT), a 5.4 earthquake hit Nevesinje in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, 71 km (44 mi) south of the capital Sarajevo.

On Tuesday Turkey’s state aid agency, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), delivered 500 food packages and 500 blankets to quake victims.

The aid was reportedly the first to arrive from any country since the quake.