Albanian ammunition dump blast kills 10

TIRANA – Rescuers found two more bodies yesterday at the site of a massive blast at an Albanian army depot, raising the death toll to seven.

Prime Minister Sali Berisha said 10 workers are still missing after the chain of explosions, which started on Saturday and injured 243 people, including many children. During a visit to a Tirana hospital treating many of the blast victims, Berisha said at least two of the injured were in serious condition.Berisha said the blasts were accidentally triggered during work to destroy excess ammunition at Gerdec village, about 10 kilometres north of the capital, Tirana.The explosions started on Saturday and continued until early yesterday – severely hampering rescue efforts.The first blast was heard as far away as the Macedonian capital of Skopje, 190 km away, and prompted a brief suspension of flights at Tirana’s nearby international airport, which was slightly damaged.Authorities evacuated 4 000 people from three villages and the surrounding area using armoured personnel carriers.Yesterday, hundreds of troops and police cordoned off the still-smoking depot, and army engineers were preparing to enter the heart of the blasts.The destruction of ammunition at the dump was being carried out by an Albanian company that had been subcontracted by Southern Ammunition Company Inc.of Loris, South Carolina, Berisha said, adding that there had been no foreign citizens in the area.In the past year, about 6 000 – 7 000 tons of ammunition were destroyed.Berisha described the blasts as an accident.The explosion also damaged a major electricity transmission point, leaving the area without power, authorities said.Explosions continued for some 14 hours.Berisha said most of the injured had suffered burns and psychological shock.Nampa-APDuring a visit to a Tirana hospital treating many of the blast victims, Berisha said at least two of the injured were in serious condition.Berisha said the blasts were accidentally triggered during work to destroy excess ammunition at Gerdec village, about 10 kilometres north of the capital, Tirana.The explosions started on Saturday and continued until early yesterday – severely hampering rescue efforts.The first blast was heard as far away as the Macedonian capital of Skopje, 190 km away, and prompted a brief suspension of flights at Tirana’s nearby international airport, which was slightly damaged.Authorities evacuated 4 000 people from three villages and the surrounding area using armoured personnel carriers.Yesterday, hundreds of troops and police cordoned off the still-smoking depot, and army engineers were preparing to enter the heart of the blasts.The destruction of ammunition at the dump was being carried out by an Albanian company that had been subcontracted by Southern Ammunition Company Inc.of Loris, South Carolina, Berisha said, adding that there had been no foreign citizens in the area.In the past year, about 6 000 – 7 000 tons of ammunition were destroyed.Berisha described the blasts as an accident.The explosion also damaged a major electricity transmission point, leaving the area without power, authorities said.Explosions continued for some 14 hours.Berisha said most of the injured had suffered burns and psychological shock.Nampa-AP