TIRANA, Nov. 26 – Torrential rains over the past week have killed two people and flooded parts of Albania, causing major disruption to the water and power supplies in Tirana and elsewhere.
Emergency chief Shemsi Prenci on Sunday said that a 27-year-old man working at a hydro-power station died after he was swept away by the water. Local media reported that another man had died while fishing near a swollen river.
Rains caused problems in four districts in central and northern Albania, including Tirana, with some homes and two bridges damaged, and roads blocked from debris brought on by the small rivers in those areas.
Many streets in capital Tirana were flooded and authorities said there were temporary cut of power and water supply in some of its neighborhoods.
The power distribution corporation involved some 1,700 employees to take care of about 180 problems countrywide.
The armed forces were also involved in certain areas to help in stopping water entering the inhabited areas and also evacuate some families
– Tirana water supply affected
Tirana’s municipal water supply company said a main reservoir had been clogged with debris due to the heavy rains, and they had to shut down the supply for 48 hours for safety reasons.
Residents in the downtown area of the Albanian capital and other areas of the city took to social media to complain of the type of water shortages many had not seen since the chaotic late 1990s.
The city’s main hospitals told patients that were not in need of urgent care to go home due to lack of running water.
Tirana Municipality said it was providing an emergency water supply through tankers for hospitals and schools.
Mayor Erion Veliaj said the situation normalized after 48 hours of intensive work.
He added he was bringing together a group of local and international experts to plan long term in the prevention of similar problems in the future.
– Flooding problems persist
Tirana and the rest of the country now face flooding on a regular basis, much of it blamed on old drainage infrastructure and illegal construction on water collection systems. Climate change could also be a factor, expert say.
Streets and roads in many parts of Albania flooded, including the main highway linking Tirana to Durres.
Bad weather also affected the country’s ports, with ferries to and from Italy facing serious delays. One fishing boat sank, but its crew was rescued, port authorities said.
