Greek seismologist: Albania Admits Construction Errors

When an earthquake of these dimensions occurs, there will be a seismic event that will last 5 to 5.5 months. The truth is, most subsequent earthquakes will occur in the first week after the major earthquake, as is happening. But unfortunately, even in the coming weeks and more specifically in the coming months, there will be other earthquakes, some of which may be powerful, meaning 4, 4.5, 5 even 5.5 Richter.

So unfortunately there will be later delayed earthquakes, much later, but it will not be the situation that residents are experiencing now. It's really unpleasant what I say, but it's a natural phenomenon to have, develop”, Papazahos said.

He expresses his regret over the way new residences are built in the last two decades.

A strange phenomenon appeared in Albania as it is one of the rare cases when constructions in recent years took place with an antisism system far worse than older ones. In the direction of the transition, the immediate change of the system, the gap created with the coming of a new power, full anarchism in construction, the money that entered Albania, the foreign low-cost construction companies that were introduced into the country without any state control and which built resorts and tourist buildings without any specific specific specifications, created a paradoxic momentum of residential construction, which was of a low security level”, he said.

The Greek seismologist does not rule out the possibility of activating even other seismic cracks on Albanian territory, and cautions that, like Greeks and Albanians, should get used to earthquakes.

Unfortunately, in Albania, which is a seismogenic country, there was fate and disability in parallel, that the last 20 years did not happen powerful earthquakes and illusions were created on the Albanian people and the state that there will be no powerful earthquakes, while Albania is one of the countries with high seismic activity in Ecropa”, follows.

Papazahos points out that the state and the individual must not now be indifferent and seek more security and account in implementing anti-Sismic rules in the new buildings.

Because it is true that some buildings cannot be reinforced, while it is certain even that sometimes repair of their reinforcements is more expensive than building a new residence. And here comes the hour of regret. A moment comes when you see that your mistakes are so great that they cannot be corrected. But in any case Albanian society must admit its mistakes, otherwise after 5, 10 or even 2 years, 1 month, we will experience another Durres, or another country to be destroyed. Nature under its strict laws, does not forgive”, he says.

Papazahos stresses that the Albanian state already has a difficult challenge where it will find the funds and how it will create a relevant legislation that will impose control and reinforcement of construction. /tch