“The notice about the incident was received around 14:30. Upon arriving at the scene, the firefighters found that the fire was large, covering the third and fourth floors of the building. In cooperation with the State Police, which had set up the security perimeter, the intervention focused on evacuating residents and extinguishing the seats of the fire.
During the operation, more than 10 people, mainly children and the elderly, were evacuated via the emergency ladder. Due to damage to the building’s internal stairs and the blocking of the entrance, the intervention was carried out from several sides of the building, using the appropriate equipment and tools. The ladder also made it possible to bring residents out from upper floors, including the fourth and fifth floors.
Two victims found in the building were discovered under debris and, according to the data, the loss of life resulted from the explosion.
Meanwhile, people who showed mild signs of asphyxiation received medical assistance and have left the hospital.
Regarding the video footage circulating on social networks, we wish to make clear that it reflects an initial moment of the operation, when one of the vehicles was in the process of being loaded, and does not represent the full scope of the intervention carried out by the firefighters.
The intervention at the building faced no obstacles for the firefighting vehicles. To create the necessary operating space, some tree branches were also cut, while the firefighting and rescue operation was carried out from several sides of the building.
The Municipality of Elbasan has a total of 8 firefighting vehicles, of which 6 are centrifugal pump vehicles for extinguishing fires, 1 water tanker and 1 aerial ladder. These capacities are available to the service for handling emergency situations”, said the head of the fire service, Emirjan Sako.