Albania earthquake: Death toll stands at 50
Tirana,
Dec
01:
The
search
and
rescue
operation
for
earthquake
survivors
in
Albania
has
ended,
the
prime
minister
said
Saturday,
with
the
death
toll
at
50
and
no
more
bodies
believed
to
be
in
the
ruins.
Prime
Minister
Edi
Rama
said
preliminary
figures
showed
more
than
1,465
buildings
in
the
capital,
Tirana,
and
about
900
in
nearby
Durres
were
seriously
damaged
in
Tuesday's
6.4-magnitude
pre-dawn
quake.
About 2,000 people were injured. One woman remained in a coma, according to health officials.
Earthquake kills 4, injures 150 in Albania
Preliminary figures estimate at least 4,000 people are homeless.
About 2,500 people from damaged homes have been sheltered in hotels.
Others have been taken to neighboring Kosovo or have moved to eastern areas of Albania.
The prime minister has pledged all homeless will be in stronger homes in 2020.
The first seriously damaged building has been demolished, and a dozen others are expected to follow. Assessment experts from Greece, France, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Latvia are involved.
A new draft law will sentence all investors, architects and supervisors to seven to 15 years in prison for violating construction norms. That and corruption in Albania's burgeoning building industry have been blamed for much of the quake's effects.
The government has set up financial compensations for families of the dead, including 1 million Lek (USD 9,000) per family, special pensions for elders and scholarships for children.