Hopes fade for any more survivors in Albania quake; 39 dead

quake

DURRES, Albania (AP) — Hopes are fading of finding anyone else alive beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings in Albania two days after a deadly quake struck the country’s Adriatic coast, with the death toll rising after more bodies were pulled from the ruins overnight.

Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday put the death toll at 39, after authorities said six more bodies were recovered from the northwestern town of Thumane, and another two from the port city of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the capital Tirana. More than 650 people were injured in the 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck before dawn Tuesday.

Authorities say the search operation has ended in Thumane, with no more people believed to be missing in the collapsed buildings there. It continues, however, in Durres.