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On Friday evening, (29.11.2019) search and rescue teams from Serbia and Montenegro found no victims or survivors in the ruins of the Mira Mare Hotel on the beach of Durres. After checking all the ruins in Durres and Thumana, the search and rescue teams completed their work. "51 victims were recovered from the wreckage through operations, which involved 250 rescue personnel from Albania, Kosovo, Italy, Greece, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, France, Turkey, Switzerland, Romania, North Macedonia, the EU and USA ”, the Ministry of Defense announced today.
Search and rescue operations were closed, by performing extraordinary, heroic work in just four days. They recovered from the wreckage 41 survivors as the earthquake injured 913 people.
Saturday brought the first casualty of the earthquake in Tirana, which died today at the Trauma Hospital from injuries sustained during the November 26 earthquake.
Sadness, pain and destruction this weekend in Durres and Thumana. The survivors are organizing funerals for their loved ones, with the country's highest authorities present in honor of the last farewell.
The weekend finds the seaside town of Durres that is usually vibrant, silent and empty. The fear of the following earthquakes has led residents to flee to other safe cities, where they have relatives and friends; some have moved to neighboring countries, mainly Italy and Greece, where they have immigrant families, with economies now consolidated because of their work for more than 25 years.
The ruins of buildings collapsed by the earthquake are still untreated. Have been augmented by new demolitions of damaged buildings, which are at risk of falling and may continue for the following days. Tons of concrete slabs, iron bars, and the arsenal of living in the once-vacant families' apartments are the outward, visible evidence of the disaster.
Prime Minister Edi Rama at a government meeting (11.30.2019) said the German model of creating ecological zones could be followed.
“The Germans have created inert hills, called memory hills, adding a green dimension to completely destroyed areas. We have to prepare a plan for this in cooperation with foreign architects," said Prime Minister Rama.
Abusive supervisors and builders to face justice.
The verification of the buildings that collapsed after the November 26 earthquake causing 50 casualties and many material damages has revealed that they belong to post-1990 construction. Paradoxically, pre-1990 construction has proved sustainable and untouched by the earthquake. This fact clearly indicates that the construction companies, which sprout like mushrooms after about three decades of post-communism, have abused in the use of the European Earthquake Protection Codes. Criminally abusive companies have used low-quality concrete and iron to spend as little and maximize profits. Alongside such builders are a chain of other abusers: supervisors and mayors who have turned a blind eye and a deaf ear when more floors have been added to the buildings than permit granted by the municipality, making the building vulnerable to earthquakes.
Prime Minister Rama said at a government meeting that abusers will be brought to justice.
"For those who build for profit, the sanctions will be horrible and open to the judges. Prison for supervisors, architects, builders who are abusers. Architects who do not denounce builders who distort their project will be punished," said Prime Minister Rama.