A powerful explosion has turned a five-storey apartment building in the city of Elbasan into a tragedy: one person has lost their life, another remains missing, and eight people, including children, have been taken to hospital for medical care.
The serious incident has caused considerable material and structural damage to the building, while the situation at the scene remains critical. Firefighters, police and emergency teams are engaged in the operation to search for the missing persons, evacuate residents and secure the area.
Kastriot Skënderaj, director of Elbasan police, has provided new details from the scene, revealing that the explosion caused severe damage to the building’s structure. According to him, the building’s fourth floor collapsed onto the third floor, while the fire that initially engulfed the latter has also spread to the other floors.
Firefighters have intervened to evacuate residents and extinguish the flames, while the operation has also focused on searching for persons who may have been trapped under the rubble. According to information provided by firefighters, the victim was found on the fifth floor of the building, while an elderly man remains unaccounted for.
