Albania's prime minister said the country had been "wounded" by the violent earthquake this week that killed whole families and pulverised buildings, as he gave a new toll on Friday of 49 dead and 5,000 displaced.

The 6.4 magnitude quake that jolted Albania before dawn on Tuesday was the most deadly and destructive in decades.&nbsp;

Entire families were crushed by their homes while they were sleeping.&nbsp;

"We have all been touched and wounded" by the tragedy, said Prime Minister Edi Rama, his voice strained as he mentioned the death of a close friend of his son, a medical student whose body was found in the rubble with her brother and two parents.&nbsp;

The damage was most concentrated near the Adriatic coast in the port city of Durres and the town of Thumane, where scores of people were trapped beneath the wreckage of toppled apartments and hotels.

Loved ones and neighbours have watched in agony this week as rescue teams pulled corpses from the ruins.&nbsp;

On Friday the search effort wound down to focus on one or two sites in Durres, including a collapsed beach-side hotel. &nbsp;

Around 45 people were rescued from the ruins alive by relief teams, who were backed up by experts from around Europe with dogs, cameras and other equipment to comb through the rubble.

In Durres and Thumane, almost 2,000 people have been moved into hotels or other buildings &nbsp;-- either because of severe damage to their homes or because hundreds of aftershocks made their apartments unsafe.

Another 3,480 people in the capital Tirana fled in panic to shelters, with some now housed in reception centres and many staying in the homes of relatives, Rama said.

There were no casualties in Tirana but nearly 70 buildings and 250 homes were damaged, he said.&nbsp;

Teams of experts are being organised to assess the risk of damaged buildings, said Defence Minister Olta Xhacka, who urged residents to leave any homes affected by the quake.&nbsp;

"The situation of buildings with damaged structures is as dangerous as on the first day, so don't stay there, leave them," she said.&nbsp;

Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe and its urbanisation developed chaotically after the fall of communism in the 1990s.&nbsp;

A lot of construction has been done "without a building permit, without respecting rules... using non-standard materials," local architect Maks velo told AFP.

The government has promised to build new houses for earthquake victims by 2020.

Donations in multiple currencies have poured in and are expected to exceed five million euros ($5.5 million), as well as $1.5 million, Rama said.

Albania's prime minister said the country had been "wounded" by the violent earthquake this week that killed whole families and pulverised buildings, as he gave a new toll on Friday of 49 dead and 5,000 displaced.

Albania's prime minister said the country had been "wounded" by the violent earthquake this week that killed whole families and pulverised buildings, as he gave a new toll on Friday of 49 dead and 5,000 displaced. The 6.4 magnitude quake that jolted Albania before dawn on Tuesday was the most deadly and destructive in decades. Entire families were crushed by their homes while they were sleeping. "We have all been touched and wounded" by the tragedy, said Prime Minister Edi Rama, his voice strained as he mentioned the death of a close friend of his son, a medical student whose body was found in the rubble with her brother and two parents. The damage was most concentrated near the Adriatic coast in the port city of Durres and the town of Thumane, where scores of people were trapped beneath the wreckage of toppled apartments and hotels. Loved ones and neighbours have watched in agony this week as rescue teams pulled corpses from the ruins. On Friday the search effort wound down to focus on one or two sites in Durres, including a collapsed beach-side hotel. Around 45 people were rescued from the ruins alive by relief teams, who were backed up by experts from around Europe with dogs, cameras and other equipment to comb through the rubble. In Durres and Thumane, almost 2,000 people have been moved into hotels or other buildings -- either because of severe damage to their homes or because hundreds of aftershocks made their apartments unsafe. Another 3,480 people in the capital Tirana fled in panic to shelters, with some now housed in reception centres and many staying in the homes of relatives, Rama said. There were no casualties in Tirana but nearly 70 buildings and 250 homes were damaged, he said. Teams of experts are being organised to assess the risk of damaged buildings, said Defence Minister Olta Xhacka, who urged residents to leave any homes affected by the quake. "The situation of buildings with damaged structures is as dangerous as on the first day, so don't stay there, leave them," she said. Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe and its urbanisation developed chaotically after the fall of communism in the 1990s. A lot of construction has been done "without a building permit, without respecting rules... using non-standard materials," local architect Maks velo told AFP. The government has promised to build new houses for earthquake victims by 2020. Donations in multiple currencies have poured in and are expected to exceed five million euros ($5.5 million), as well as $1.5 million, Rama said.

Almost 50 dead, more than 5,000 displaced in Albania quake

Emergency workers on Wednesday pulled dust-covered corpses from the ruins of an earthquake that has claimed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rescuers-work-through-the-night-as-albanian-quake-toll-hits-25-264912">30 lives in Albania</a>, as aftershocks hampered the second day of search efforts for survivors.

The<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/albania-earthquake-kills-20-hunt-for-survivors-still-ongoing-264758"> 6.4 magnitude earthquake</a> that rattled the Balkan state early Tuesday morning was the most powerful and damaging in decades.

In the hard-hit coastal city of Durres and the town of Thumane, apartments and hotels collapsed into mountains of rubble, trapping residents beneath.&nbsp;

With the help of dogs and 200 experts flown in from across Europe, rescuers raced against time to clear away the wreckage after 45 people were pulled out alive the previous day.

But a series of strong aftershocks put temporary pauses on search efforts and sent fresh bolts of panic in the streets.

Devastated relatives wept in the morning as search teams in Thumane unearthed the bodies of a married couple, Pellumb and Celike Greku, from a building torn down by the force of the earthquake.&nbsp;

"Terrible, terrible," an elderly woman dressed in black shouted, pulling at her hair as the bodies in pyjamas were wrapped in blankets and carried away.

Their son Saimir, who was visiting from abroad, was rescued alive from the rubble Tuesday night but later died in hospital, according to relatives and neighbours.&nbsp;

"They went to heaven together, they were very honest and poor people," said Valbona Cupi, 60, another local, in tears.&nbsp;

By Wednesday evening the official death toll was 30 dead, the defence ministry said, with some 650 people treated for mostly minor injuries.

In Durres, a beach destination on the Adriatic coast, 27 buildings had crumbled and at least a dozen people were killed. &nbsp;

As darkness fell, thousands of residents prepared to spend a second night sleeping in tents or on the grass of the city's football stadium.

Many were afraid to return home due to the tremors that followed Tuesday's quake, including a 5.3 magnitude earthquake that shook buildings in Durres on Wednesday afternoon.

During a visit to the city, Prime Minister Edi Rama said the government would arrange for homeless families to be moved into hotels.&nbsp;

"We cannot spend the winter under open skies or in tents," he said, pledging to put each family in a new home by 2020.

In the district of Keneta, emergency workers and relatives kept searching for a family of six -- two parents and four children -- whose home was flattened by the earthquake.&nbsp;

"Hope is the last thing that dies," said Asije, 40, a close relative of the Lala family who had moved to the port city from Albania's poor north in search of a better life.&nbsp;

Another relative, Hasan Lala, was working with rescuers who used pickaxes, shovels and their hands to clear debris and move slabs of concrete.&nbsp;

"The rescue operation is very difficult because you can't use heavy machinery, you have to work with your hands," he said.

Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, but rescue specialists and emergency aid have poured in from around the continent.&nbsp;

The government declared Wednesday a national day of mourning and cancelled festivities planned for Independence Day celebrations on November 28 and 29.

Durres and Thumane were also put under a 30-day state of emergency.&nbsp;

In an act of solidarity, neighbouring Kosovo, whose population is mostly ethnic Albanian, also went into official mourning.

Two Kosovar brothers, Shemsedin and Isa Abazi, were among those killed in Durres when their hotel collapsed, according to Pristina.

Earthquakes are relatively common in the Balkans due to the movements two large tectonic plates -- the African and Eurasian -- and the smaller Adriatic micro-plate.

Emergency workers on Wednesday pulled dust-covered corpses from the ruins of an earthquake that has claimed 30 lives in Albania, as aftershocks hampered the second day of search efforts for survivors.

Emergency workers on Wednesday pulled dust-covered corpses from the ruins of an earthquake that has claimed 30 lives in Albania, as aftershocks hampered the second day of search efforts for survivors. The 6.4 magnitude earthquake that rattled the Balkan state early Tuesday morning was the most powerful and damaging in decades. In the hard-hit coastal city of Durres and the town of Thumane, apartments and hotels collapsed into mountains of rubble, trapping residents beneath. With the help of dogs and 200 experts flown in from across Europe, rescuers raced against time to clear away the wreckage after 45 people were pulled out alive the previous day. But a series of strong aftershocks put temporary pauses on search efforts and sent fresh bolts of panic in the streets. Devastated relatives wept in the morning as search teams in Thumane unearthed the bodies of a married couple, Pellumb and Celike Greku, from a building torn down by the force of the earthquake. "Terrible, terrible," an elderly woman dressed in black shouted, pulling at her hair as the bodies in pyjamas were wrapped in blankets and carried away. Their son Saimir, who was visiting from abroad, was rescued alive from the rubble Tuesday night but later died in hospital, according to relatives and neighbours. "They went to heaven together, they were very honest and poor people," said Valbona Cupi, 60, another local, in tears. By Wednesday evening the official death toll was 30 dead, the defence ministry said, with some 650 people treated for mostly minor injuries. In Durres, a beach destination on the Adriatic coast, 27 buildings had crumbled and at least a dozen people were killed. As darkness fell, thousands of residents prepared to spend a second night sleeping in tents or on the grass of the city's football stadium. Many were afraid to return home due to the tremors that followed Tuesday's quake, including a 5.3 magnitude earthquake that shook buildings in Durres on Wednesday afternoon. During a visit to the city, Prime Minister Edi Rama said the government would arrange for homeless families to be moved into hotels. "We cannot spend the winter under open skies or in tents," he said, pledging to put each family in a new home by 2020. In the district of Keneta, emergency workers and relatives kept searching for a family of six -- two parents and four children -- whose home was flattened by the earthquake. "Hope is the last thing that dies," said Asije, 40, a close relative of the Lala family who had moved to the port city from Albania's poor north in search of a better life. Another relative, Hasan Lala, was working with rescuers who used pickaxes, shovels and their hands to clear debris and move slabs of concrete. "The rescue operation is very difficult because you can't use heavy machinery, you have to work with your hands," he said. Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, but rescue specialists and emergency aid have poured in from around the continent. The government declared Wednesday a national day of mourning and cancelled festivities planned for Independence Day celebrations on November 28 and 29. Durres and Thumane were also put under a 30-day state of emergency. In an act of solidarity, neighbouring Kosovo, whose population is mostly ethnic Albanian, also went into official mourning. Two Kosovar brothers, Shemsedin and Isa Abazi, were among those killed in Durres when their hotel collapsed, according to Pristina. Earthquakes are relatively common in the Balkans due to the movements two large tectonic plates -- the African and Eurasian -- and the smaller Adriatic micro-plate.

Death toll in Albania earthquake climbs to 30; rescuers race to save lives

The death toll from the most powerful earthquake to strike<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../death-toll-in-albania-earthquake-climbs-to-30- rescuers-race-to-save-lives-264973"> Albania</a> in decades rose to 40 on Thursday after more bodies were pulled from the wreckage overnight in a tragedy that has wiped out whole families.&nbsp;

The 6.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the Balkan state while people were sleeping just before 4:00 am (0300 GMT) on Tuesday, razing buildings and trapping victims beneath the debris in towns near the Adriatic coast.

Rescue teams were still shovelling away massive chunks of collapsed apartments and hotels in the coastal city of Durres, where nearly 30 buildings were badly damaged.

Teams from around Europe have flown in to help with the effort, bringing dogs and specialised cameras to hunt for survivors, around 50 of whom have been pulled out alive, mostly on Tuesday.

As the operation stretched into day three, rescuers insisted there was still reason to hope for more survival stories.&nbsp;

"There may be hope for up to eight or ten days" for victims to live after an earthquake, Captain Joel Leroy, a French rescuer, told AFP.

His team of around 50 was searching for two people believed to be buried at the site of seven-story building in Durres, where two or three floors toppled over and sunk into the ground.&nbsp;

Victims may still be in "survival pockets" of air that allow them to breathe under the rubble, he explained.

"That's why we are working so hard, we believe in it," he added.

Search efforts ceased Thursday in the other hard-hit town of Thumane, where the defence ministry said there were no more missing after more than 20 bodies were pulled out in recent days.

During the night, emergency workers uncovered the corpses of a mother and son from the Reci family, found in an embrace.

They were crushed by the weight of a collapsed six-storey building in Durres.&nbsp;

The whole family has now perished in the quake, with the bodies of a father and daughter pulled out the day before, according to Ilir Duka, an Albanian rescuer at the scene.&nbsp;

Similar tragedies have befallen other families as the pre-dawn quake shattered their homes.

Loved ones have watched on in horror as rescuers pulled out bodies covered in a grey film of dust, many in their pyjamas.&nbsp;

On Tuesday a woman was heard crying out from inside a wrecked building, where she was stuck inside with a dead child. She was eventually rescued but later died in hospital.

'Hope dies last'&nbsp; 
Around 50 survivors have been hospitalised and are "in a state of shock and worried about their loved ones", defence ministry spokeswoman Albana Qehajaj told AFP.

The number of people who may still be buried in the rubble is unknown.

Rescuers, helped by teams from across Europe, have been working in perilous conditions as hundreds of aftershocks rattle buildings, interrupting search efforts.&nbsp;

"It's a heavy operation, but that's why we're here, we've been doing this for a long time," said an Italian rescue worker who didn't give his name.

"Hope dies last," he said, adding that survivors have been found up to four days after an earthquake in some instances.

The Italian team was working with dogs to search on a flattened four-storey house that belonged to the Lala family and their relatives.

Two toddlers and their mother were among those who have not yet been found in the debris, their neighbour Fatmira, dressed in black and whispering through tears, told AFP.

Moved to hotels&nbsp; 
Thousands of people have been displaced, either because their homes were severely damaged or were still unsafe because of the continuing aftershocks.

On Wednesday night authorities in Durres moved those who had been sleeping in tents to hotels and a sports centre.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has promised to rehouse the newly homeless by next year.

Illegal construction is rife in Albania, where chaotic development exploded after the fall of communism in 1990.

Many buildings lack proper permits and do not adhere to safety codes.&nbsp;

The earthquake was the deadliest in several decades in Albania, which lies near a tectonic fault line.&nbsp;

The death toll from the most powerful earthquake to strike Albania in decades rose to 40 on Thursday after more bodies were pulled from the wreckage overnight in a tragedy that has wiped out whole families.

The death toll from the most powerful earthquake to strike Albania in decades rose to 40 on Thursday after more bodies were pulled from the wreckage overnight in a tragedy that has wiped out whole families. The 6.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the Balkan state while people were sleeping just before 4:00 am (0300 GMT) on Tuesday, razing buildings and trapping victims beneath the debris in towns near the Adriatic coast. Rescue teams were still shovelling away massive chunks of collapsed apartments and hotels in the coastal city of Durres, where nearly 30 buildings were badly damaged. Teams from around Europe have flown in to help with the effort, bringing dogs and specialised cameras to hunt for survivors, around 50 of whom have been pulled out alive, mostly on Tuesday. As the operation stretched into day three, rescuers insisted there was still reason to hope for more survival stories. "There may be hope for up to eight or ten days" for victims to live after an earthquake, Captain Joel Leroy, a French rescuer, told AFP. His team of around 50 was searching for two people believed to be buried at the site of seven-story building in Durres, where two or three floors toppled over and sunk into the ground. Victims may still be in "survival pockets" of air that allow them to breathe under the rubble, he explained. "That's why we are working so hard, we believe in it," he added. Search efforts ceased Thursday in the other hard-hit town of Thumane, where the defence ministry said there were no more missing after more than 20 bodies were pulled out in recent days. During the night, emergency workers uncovered the corpses of a mother and son from the Reci family, found in an embrace. They were crushed by the weight of a collapsed six-storey building in Durres. The whole family has now perished in the quake, with the bodies of a father and daughter pulled out the day before, according to Ilir Duka, an Albanian rescuer at the scene. Similar tragedies have befallen other families as the pre-dawn quake shattered their homes. Loved ones have watched on in horror as rescuers pulled out bodies covered in a grey film of dust, many in their pyjamas. On Tuesday a woman was heard crying out from inside a wrecked building, where she was stuck inside with a dead child. She was eventually rescued but later died in hospital. 'Hope dies last' Around 50 survivors have been hospitalised and are "in a state of shock and worried about their loved ones", defence ministry spokeswoman Albana Qehajaj told AFP. The number of people who may still be buried in the rubble is unknown. Rescuers, helped by teams from across Europe, have been working in perilous conditions as hundreds of aftershocks rattle buildings, interrupting search efforts. "It's a heavy operation, but that's why we're here, we've been doing this for a long time," said an Italian rescue worker who didn't give his name. "Hope dies last," he said, adding that survivors have been found up to four days after an earthquake in some instances. The Italian team was working with dogs to search on a flattened four-storey house that belonged to the Lala family and their relatives. Two toddlers and their mother were among those who have not yet been found in the debris, their neighbour Fatmira, dressed in black and whispering through tears, told AFP. Moved to hotels Thousands of people have been displaced, either because their homes were severely damaged or were still unsafe because of the continuing aftershocks. On Wednesday night authorities in Durres moved those who had been sleeping in tents to hotels and a sports centre. Prime Minister Edi Rama has promised to rehouse the newly homeless by next year. Illegal construction is rife in Albania, where chaotic development exploded after the fall of communism in 1990. Many buildings lack proper permits and do not adhere to safety codes. The earthquake was the deadliest in several decades in Albania, which lies near a tectonic fault line.

Forty dead as families pulled from Albania earthquake rubble

How Albania's most powerful earthquake wrecked the capital city