Gerdec Residents Threatened From Blast Consequences

TIRANA, Aug 23 – Analysis of the land and soil in the Gerdec area following the March 15 blast that killed 26 and injured 300 showed that residents living there might now be in danger from pollution in the soil.
Experts said effects from the blast may be present for decades and urged that no people should live in the vicinity. At the same time, there has been a recent debate about whether it was safe to live and rebuild houses in the area. The defense minister said, last week, that people were free to safely build houses in the area, though not in the crater zone.
Analysis indicates that people living there may already be suffering from different illnesses affecting their brain or blood, causing cancer, and even causing birth defects, according to Gazeta Shqiptare newspaper.
Analysis showed the land has too much lead, iron, nickel, magnesium, zinc, arsenic and other dangerous chemicals.
The blast also destroyed or damaged some 5,500 houses and many families have started to rebuild them at the same locations, including those near the blast crater.