In the morning, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck in the west of the country • At least 150 injured were hospitalized • Major destruction caused hundreds of buildings

The 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit the Richter scale in the western state, in the region of Tirana, the capital of Albania, causing the deaths of at least nine people and at least 150 injured. It has been the strongest earthquake in the country in decades.

Photo: Reuters

The quake struck at 4 a.m. (local time), and was located 10 miles northwest of Shaikh town, between the town of Dores and the capital. The quake's depth was 10 km inland.

The quake has caused a great deal of destruction in buildings throughout the capital and nearby cities. Video clips posted on social networks showed what appeared to be a collapsed building in Doras, 40 km west of Tirana, on the Adriatic coast. Other sections showed buildings with large damages and cracks, one of which is one of the most missing bedroom.

Army forces work to rescue trapped in Durs // Photo: Reuters

A State Department spokesman told the media that "security and fire forces are working to rescue the trapped under the rubble." Residents were seen fleeing their homes with their children. Two government spokesmen told Reuters that the biggest damage to the buildings was in Dorse and not in the capital.

Recall, another 5.6 magnitude earthquake shook the country last September, causing the collapse of 400 buildings. The Balkans are the poorest country in Europe, with an average income of less than one third of the EU average. Therefore, a very high earthquake also causes many damages.