Albania: earthquake - death toll rises to 40

With each passing hour, the hope of finding survivors disappears: two days after the devastating earthquake in Albania, the death toll has increased to 40. Rescue workers had recovered ten more bodies from the rubble on Thursday night, the Department of Defense said. Around 50 people have been released alive, said a spokesman.

The quake of magnitude 6.4 had shaken the west of Albania on early Tuesday morning. The worst affected were the port city of Durres and the nearby town of Thumana. There many buildings collapsed, dozens more were damaged. Around 650 people were injured.

With the support of detection dogs and about 200 experts from all over Europe, salvage teams in the ruins searched for more victims. The work of the teams was complicated by hundreds of aftershocks. On Thursday, the salvage work was stopped in Thumana. After the discovery of 20 bodies no one is missing there, said the Ministry of Defense.

Scale of vibration levels of earthquake

Difference to the Richter scale

The scale of vibration levels does NOT refer to the RICHTERSKALA, BUT to the twelve-level INTENSITY SCALE. The Richter scale is a measure of the energy released during earthquakes. The intensity scale, on the other hand, describes the effect of seismic waves on objects - the values ​​become smaller with the distance to the quake. Intensity 9 is roughly equivalent to a 6.5 magnitude quake on the Richter scale that occurs nearby. The Japan earthquake had the magnitude 9, which had 12 strength shakes.

I - Not sensed

No perceptions by humans.

II - Very rarely felt

Only very few people (<one percent) perceived at rest and in a very sensitive position within buildings.

III - weak

Seen by a few people in buildings as a slight swinging or vibrating.

IV - Largely observed

In buildings perceived by many, in the open air but only by very few people; some wake up; slight vibration or vibration of buildings, furniture, etc., shaking windows and doors, creaking of beams; hanging objects swing.

V - Strong

In buildings perceived by most and outdoors by some; some run frightened into the open, many sleepers wake up; strong vibrations of the whole building, room and furniture; hanging objects vibrate considerably, unstable can move or fall over; Liquids can swing and spill over, doors and windows can open and close; a few buildings with poor fabric can show slight damage.

VI - Slight damage

Many people run frightened into the open air. Some objects fall over, furniture can slip. Many houses suffer minor damage such as hairline cracks or falling off small plaster surfaces.

VII - Damage

Most people run frightened into the open air. Furniture can go crazy and many items can be thrown off shelves. Many well-built ordinary buildings suffer moderate damage such as small cracks in walls, falling plaster, breaking off chimney parts. Older buildings may have larger cracks in walls; non-load-bearing walls can collapse.

VIII - Severe damage

Many people have difficulty stopping. Many houses have large cracks in the walls. Some well-built, normal buildings show serious failure of walls. Weak older buildings can collapse.

IX - Destructive

General panic. Many weak constructions collapse. Even well-built, normal buildings show very severe damage, such as severe failure of walls and sometimes structural failure.

X - Strongly destructive

Many normal buildings collapse.

XI - Devastated

Most well-built, normal buildings collapse, even some with good, earthquake-proof construction are destroyed.

XII - Total destruction

All buildings of poor to medium-sized buildings and most of them with good structures (wood, steel or reinforced concrete) are destroyed. Maximum damage and landscape changes.

In Durres, the forces found under the rubble of a six-story building, the closely entwined corpses of a mother and her son. Thus the entire family had fallen victim to the quake, said an Albanian. According to his information, the father and daughter had already been recovered the day before.

A woman whose screams had been heard on Tuesday from the rubble of another collapsed house has now been freed alive, but died shortly thereafter in the hospital. Her dead child had been lying next to her all the time.

The government in Tirana had declared a 30-day emergency for the two places the day before. Thousands of people who had to stay in tents in Durres so far were housed in hotels and a sports center during the night of Thursday.

Some of them may soon be able to return to their homes as soon as security checks are completed. The other promised Prime Minister Edi Rama that they can move to new apartments next year. In Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe, building is often illegal - and often without regard to the safety of the buildings.