Fuel tank explosion injures seven firefighters, pollutes Knalle Lagoon

TIRANA, Dec. 17 – A fuel storage tank exploded early morning in Shengjin on Sunday also threatening two other tanks, which were located very near the national road and that much from houses as well. Six firefighters were injured trying to put out the flames at the exploded tank near the small harbor of Shengjin. They were all recovered well. Some 120 firefighters fought with the flames for some 30 hours. Police evacuated people from nearby houses and set up checkpoints to prevent people going near the site. Two Greek firefighting trucks came from Ioannina and helped their Albanian colleagues to extinguish the fire. The fight against the flames was also helped form the Mother Teresa International Airport.
About 1,000 tons of oil leaked from the storage tanks, polluting the waters of Knalle Lagoon, authorities said. Environment Minister Lufter Xhuveli said the leak had caused serious damage but declined to consider it a catastrophe. Environmental groups voiced fears that the oil could leak into the nearby Adriatic Sea. The Minister said that they would block the entrance to the lagoon and its link with another small one which is linked to the sea in an effort to prevent the spill from spreading.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire or the leak, and authorities had launched an investigation. An investigation was under way to find the cause of the fire or the leak that sparked the fire. Tanks belonged to Taci Oil private company. One direction of the investigation was a criminal act after many people reported they had heard an explosion before they saw the flames. Vice minister of Energy Gjergj Bojaxhi said that was a main direction of the prosecutor office. Local residents also said that some other tanks are a greater danger as they are located in the midst of the town. Some other tanks in the main port of Durres, owned by some Greek companies, are also considered a threat but the government has failed to push the owner start their move to Porto Romano. The companies have agreed to do that but it still remains unclear who is to fund that operation.