Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake in central Albania kills at least 20 people.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake at a depth of about 20.0 km, roughly 12 km to the southwest of the town of  Mamurras in western Albania, slightly before 3.55 am local time (slightly before 2.55 am GMT) on Tuesday 26 November 2019. The quake has caused widespread damage in Albania, with many collapsed buildings and at least twenty fatalities, and over six hundred people are reported to have been injured. The event was felt across the Balkan Peninsula and Italy. The worst casualties occurred in the town of Durrës, where at least six buildings collapsed, including an apartment block.

Damaged buildings in the town of Durrës in western Albania, following a Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake on Tuesday 26 November 2019. Hektor Pustina/AP.

The coastal region of Albania, and the other states of the western Balkan Peninsula, forms the eastern margin of the Adriatic Plate, a piece of the African Plate that has broken away and is now wedged into the southern part of the Eurasian Plate. This is being squeezed by the impact of Africa into Europe from the south, which is pushing western Italy, which sits on the Eurasian Plate, to the east, and Greece and Turkey, which sit on the Aegean and Anatolian Plates, to the west. This squeezing leads to uplift around the margins of the Adriatic Plate, in the Apennines Mountain Range of central Italy and the mountain ranges of the west Balkan Peninsula.

  Outline map showing the approximate positions of the Eurasian (EU), Adriatic (AD) and African (AF) Plates. Di Bucci & Mazzuli (2003).

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

 

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Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake in southeastern Albania.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake at a depth of about 10.0 km, roughly 10 km to the southeast of the city of Korçë in Albania, at about 6.25 pm local time (about 5.25 am GMT) on Friday 1 November 2019. There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event, but people have reported feeling the quake across much of Albania, and neighbouring Macedonia.

The approximate location of the 1 November 2019 Albania Earthquake. USGS.

The coastal region of Albania, and the other states of the western Balkan Peninsula, forms the eastern margin of the Adriatic Plate, a piece of the African Plate that has broken away and is now wedged into the southern part of the Eurasian Plate. This is being squeezed by the impact of Africa into Europe from the south, which is pushing western Italy, which sits on the Eurasian Plate, to the east, and Greece and Turkey, which sit on the Aegean and Anatolian Plates, to the west. This squeezing leads to uplift around the margins of the Adriatic Plate, in the Apennines Mountain Range of central Italy and the mountain ranges of the west Balkan Peninsula.

 Outline map showing the approximate positions of the Eurasian (EU), Adriatic (AD) and African (AF) Plates. Di Bucci & Mazzuli (2003).

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

 

See also...

 

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Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake in central Albania.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake at a depth of about 10.0 km, roughly 10 km to the east of the town of Burrel in Albania, slightly before 5.40 pm local time (slightly before 3.40 pm GMT) on Saturday 11 August 2018. There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event, but people have reported feeling the quake across much of Albania, as well as in the neighbouring states of Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia and Bulgaria.

The approximate location of the 11 August 2018 Albania Earthquake. USGS.

The coastal region of Albania, and the other states of the western Balkan Peninsula, forms the eastern margin of the Adriatic Plate, a piece of the African Plate that has broken away and is now wedged into the southern part of the Eurasian Plate. This is being squeezed by the impact of Africa into Europe from the south, which is pushing western Italy, which sits on the Eurasian Plate, to the east, and Greece and Turkey, which sit on the Aegean and Anatolian Plates, to the west. This squeezing leads to uplift around the margins of the Adriatic Plate, in the Apennine Mountains of central Italy and the mountain ranges of the west Balkan Peninsula.

Outline map showing the approximate positions of the Eurasian (EU), Adriatic (AD) and African (AF) Plates. Di Bucci & Mazzuli (2003).

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

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Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake in west-central Albania.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake at a depth of about 10.0 km, roughly 10 km to the northwest of the town of Shijak in west-central Albania, slightly after 11.00 am local time (slightly after 9.00 am GMT) on Wednesday 4 June 2018. There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event, but people have reported feeling the quake across much of Albania, as well as in the neighbouring states of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Croatia, and in southern Italy on the other side of the Adriatic.

The approximate location of the 4 June 2018 Albania Earthquake. USGS.

The coastal region of Albania, and the other states of the western Balkan Peninsula, forms the eastern margin of the Adriatic Plate, a piece of the African Plate that has broken away and is now wedged into the southern part of the Eurasian Plate. This is being squeezed by the impact of Africa into Europe from the south, which is pushing western Italy, which sits on the Eurasian Plate, to the east, and Greece and Turkey, which sit on the Aegean and Anatolian Plates, to the west. This squeezing leads to uplift around the margins of the Adriatic Plate, in the Apennine Mountains of central Italy and the mountain ranges of the west Balkan Peninsula.

 Outline map showing the approximate positions of the Eurasian (EU), Adriatic (AD) and African (AF) Plates. Di Bucci & Mazzuli (2003).

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

See also...

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Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake off the coast of Albania.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake at a depth of about 14.4 km, roughly 10 km off the coast of northern Albania, slightly before 9.35 pm local time (slightly before 8.35 pm GMT) on Monday 29 December 2014. There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event, but people have reported feeling the quake as far away as Tirana, 54 km to the southeast of the epicenter.

The approximate location of the 29 December 2014 Albanian Coast Earthquake. Google Maps.

The coastal region of Albania, and the other states of the western Balkan Peninsula, forms the eastern margin of the Adriatic Plate, a piece of the African Plate that has broken away and is now wedged into the southern part of the Eurasian Plate. This is being squeezed by the impact of Africa into Europe from the south, which is pushing western Italy, which sits on the Eurasian Plate, to the east, and Greece and Turkey, which sit on the Aegean and Anatolian Plates, to the west. This squeezing leads to uplift around the margins of the Adriatic Plate, in the Apennine Mountains of central Italy and the mountain ranges of the west Balkan Peninsula.

Outline map showing the approximate positions of the Eurasian (EU), Adriatic (AD) and African (AF) Plates. Di Bucci & Mazzuli (2003).

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Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake in western Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake at a depth of 20.5 km in...

Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in southern Albania.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km in the Sarandë District of southern...

Magnitude 4.6 Earthquake in southern Montenegro.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.6 Earthquake at a depth of 28.5 km, roughly 4 km to the south of the...

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Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in southern Albania.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km in the Sarandë District of southern Albania, slightly before 3.00 am local time (slightly before 1.00 am GMT) on Monday 12 May 2014. There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event, though people reported feeling it in southern Albania and neighbouring areas of Greece.

The approximate location of the 12 May 2014 Sarandë Earthquake. Google Maps.

The coastal region of Albania, and the other states of the western Balkan Peninsula, forms the eastern margin of the Adriatic Plate, a piece of the African Plate that has broken away and is now wedged into the southern part of the Eurasian Plate. This is being squeezed by the impact of Africa into Europe from the south, which is pushing western Italy, which sits on the Eurasian Plate, to the east, and Greece and Turkey, which sit on the Aegean and Anatolian Plates, to the west. This squeezing leads to uplift around the margins of the Adriatic Plate, in the Apennine Mountains of central Italy and the mountain ranges of the west Balkan Peninsula.

See also...

 Magnitude 4.6 Earthquake in southern Montenegro.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.6 Earthquake at a depth of 28.5 km, roughly 4 km to the south of the...

 Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in southeast Croatia.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km, roughly 7 km east of the town of...

 Magnitude 3.1 Earthquake in northern Macedonia.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.1 Earthquake at a depth of 28 km in northern Macedonia, roughly 21...

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Seven killed in two separate incidents at Albanian mines.

Seven people were killed in two separate incidents at mines in Albania on Thursday 7 November 2013. Five men, described as three brothers and two cousins died when they were overcome by fumes from a portable generator they had brought with them while looking for scrap metal at an abandoned coal mine in the Korçë region of eastern Albania. In a second incident later the same day two men were killed by a rockfall at a nickel mine at Berzhezhte in the eastern district of Librazhd.

The approximate locations  of the two 7 November 2013 Albanian mine incidents. Google Maps.

The state owned Albminiera company is responsible for managing security at the Korçë site. In theory 15 people should have been employed to guard the former mine, but since the incident it has emerged that only 33 people are employed to protect 33 former mining sites managed by the company across the country. The company has cited financial difficulties for this despite only having spent 5 of 120 million Albanian Leks allocated to the project (US$ 47 790 of US$1 145 000). The company claims that the expenses of decommissioning a further 224 mines managed by the company are making it hard to pay wages, and that requests for additional funding from the Albanian Government have been ignored.

See also Gas kills six workers at Spanish coal mine, Turkish miner killed by underground fire, Three workers killed by gas at German potash mine, Swedish miners rescued from underground fire and Worker killed at Irish lead and zinc mine.

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