Albania hit b 5.4 magnitude quake

TIRANA, Sep 7 – Eastern Albania was hit by a 5.4 magnitude earthquake late on Sunday, with the epicenter recorded close to the villages of Gjorice e Siperme and Shupenze in Mirdita district, close to the border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
The Albanian Institute of Seismology said the quake struck at 11:49 p.m. Sunday between Shupenze and Gjorice e Siperme villages in Bulqiza district, close to the FYROM border, some 63 kilometers northeast of the capital, Tirana.
Local authorities said that 166 houses were damaged and considered provisionally unsafe, with several hundred others suffering minor damage.
The quake, followed by some 100 small tremors, also caused damage in FYROM, while several dozen homes suffered cracks and minor damage.
Albanian emergency services used two helicopters to transport tents, food and other items for hundreds of people who are expected to remain outside their homes.
Prime Minister-elect Sali Berisha made a brief visit to the area to meet with the local authorities and assure them of the government’s assistance in coping with the quake damage.
It was not clear when residents displaced by the quake could return to their homes, or when safety inspections of the damaged homes would be completed.
“We shall deal with the damage together,” Berisha said. “It is important that we have an objective initial evaluation of the damage, for which the government is ready to assist.”
Berisha said the army and the Interior Ministry will be used to repair three damaged schools and other buildings, and set up camps for people unable to find accommodation.
The U.S. Geological Survey listed the quake as being of magnitude 5.4.
Earthquakes up to 5.4 magnitudes on the Richter scale are considered as moderate quakes, often causing only minor damages.
Around the world over 30,000 of them are registered every year.