Albania has been struck by a moderate earthquake today roughly three miles northwest of Durres. The tremor was recorded at 2.04pm UTC (3.04pm BST) according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). So far no injuries or extensive damage has been reported, but social media users have shared images of chaos and widespread alarm experienced by residents. But how big was the earthquake which struck the region?
Albania’s earthquake today struck roughly 19 miles west of the country’s capital of Tirana.
The USGS reported the quake reached a magnitude 5.6, which is the most significant earthquake to hit Europe over the past 30 days.
The 5.6 tremor was followed by another at 2.15pm UTC (3.15pm BST) according to the USGS.
The second magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit north northwest of Shijak, Albania.
Terrified residents reportedly fled their homes and ran into the streets as the first earthquake shook homes in Albania.
People living in the quake zone described scenes of “panic” and “chaos” as their homes swayed and items fell off walls or shelves and shattered on the floor.
One man who lives in a block of flats posted photos of tea cups, knick-knacks and glassware that fell off a TV stand and shattered, and images of dozens of residents gathered outside in a car park.
He tweeted: “Chaos is spreading on the streets and these are a few damages that happened in my home.
“I hate living in an apartment right now.”
The tremor hit at about 4.30pm local time and was also felt in Kosovo and Greece, according to Twitter users.
One woman in Albania tweeted: “These earthquakes in Albania need to stop. We have three months in this condition. Lol this one was terrifying.”
In total there have been three earthquakes in Albania over the past 30 days, the first of these was a magnitude 4.4 quake on September 5th east northeast of Himare, Albania.