27 minutes agoHow did the Albanian state operate during the 1979 earthquake?
Periskopi(7 years ago)
(7 years ago)The November 26th earthquake of this year is certainly the worst and most tragic for Albanians in the bow of a century. In 1979, Albania, an earthquake even stronger than that of this week occurred, but the victims were smaller, even though the wounded were more and [...]
A document of April 16, 1979, respectively, of the seismological Centre in Tirana shows the exact clarity and abundant information that specialists of that time had about the earthquake of the day before the 15th.
The seismological centre was a specialised and specific structure that worked only for cases of 24 hours in 24, with shifts and experts closely on the field, not just high-level experts, which means seismic engineers and geologists, but there were a large number of employees at the second level who did not stop with measurements and data management.
After 1990, the Albanian government that came to power after the March 22nd elections melted down seismological centres, mainly job-free second-level employees, because those high-ranking were generally university professors and lectured in the cathedral and the Science Academy.
In these 30 years of post-communist rule, never did any of the governments set on the agenda reactivating seismological centres, even in any other form, perhaps with universities of Geology-Minets or construction, as such centres.
Just reading the communiqué of April 16, 1979, shows that with just one group of experts, it can easily be achieved without confusion, media coverage, and confrontation, a quick, precise, and certainly very informative product.
Official communications of April 16-17, 1979
Socialist People's Republic of Albania
Ministry of Internal Affairs
Tirana at 16,4,1979
Operational Communications No.89
Seismological Centre, Tirana
At 15,4,1979 p.m. 07.19 a very strong quake of 7.25 on the Richter scale took place 130km northwest of Tirana, with the anchorage in the Adriatic Sea. The intensity of the earthquake in the Epicenter has been over 9 on the MSK-1964 scale. It is one of the strongest earthquakes recorded in this century on Balkan territory.
On our country's territory, on the banks of the Buna River the intensity of the earthquake has been about 8 pages from MSK-1964. The quake caused 35 deaths and 176 injured in the circles of Shkodra and Lezha. 1730 residential homes were destroyed in these two districts and 5115 residential houses, economic and social cultural sites were damaged. The damage was also caused in Kruja, Puka, Debar, Tropoj, Matt, and Mirday circles. The impact of this earthquake was felt throughout our country, as well as throughout Yugoslavia, northern Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Austria, and southern Germany. The quake is closely accompanied by impact. By 1: 00 p.m., Tirana's central station recorded 206 p.m., some of which had over 4.0 magnitude. The strongest of them occurred at 3:43 p.m. with magnitude about 6, on the Richter scale; the shocks of this shock have also been felt in Tirana.
From reports of Internal Affairs Branches, it turns out that in Shkodra, among those killed and robbed. . The scratches have damaged 80 %s of the houses of the Velipoja area, Bushat, Barbulush, in the Dajci area and in the village of Pentar have completely ruined 80% of homes. Border points of Rec, Pulaj, Ruskull and Pentary have been severely damaged, while there is no harm at all. The Lezha is out of use of the city's bread oven, the old storage of the city's drinking water, electricity and water network have been damaged, while two departments have cut off at the paper factory.
There were three wounded, three houses destroyed and 40 damaged. One person has been injured in Crewe, 10 homes damaged, and Matt's bridge is easily damaged. At Matt, 26 homes have been damaged. In Debar seven houses have been completely damaged, while others have been partially damaged (between them eight social cultural objects). The B.C. building is easily damaged. Milny and the point at the opening in Fushe White. Five head of goats died. In Durres in the city, about 80 ml of house siege walls have been damaged, the Manza-Ii telephone line has been cut off, while at the fishing company's industrial school, 30 ml of surrounding walls have collapsed. There's a play on Kukes. A person has been killed and several chimneys (in Bushtrica) have collapsed, while a chemical garbage depot and several chimneys were collapsed in the village of Arpus.
Socialist People's Republic of Albania
Ministry of Internal Affairs
Tirana at 17,4,1979
Operational Communications No.90
Seismological Centre, Tirana
By 1:30 p.m., 16,4,1979 Tirana's central station has registered a total of 513 p.m. after the earthquake of 15.4,1975. The strongest follow-up dropped at 11:04 with intensity at the centre of 7 MSK-1964, in Shkodra 6, while in Tirana on 3rd. A study of the extent of the earthquake's spate space of 15.04.1979 results in seismic activity in the almost linear area of about 100km along the Adriatic coast, about 2030km off the coast, from Ulcinj to Herzegovina. Shakes in our opinion will continue for a relatively long time. /tma.net
