Explosion in Elbasan/ Mayor Llatja: Fire started on the third floor, fourth floor and connecting stairs have collapsed

Elbasan Mayor Gledian Llatja has spoken about the explosion in an apartment building that killed an elderly woman and injured several others. Speaking to the media, Llatja explained that the building that caught fire today in Elbasan has suffered structural damage.

He said the fire on the third floor is suspected to have been caused by a gas cylinder explosion, but the authorities will determine the cause. The explosion caused the fourth floor to collapse and also damaged the internal stairs connecting the third floor to the floors above.

“Structural damage to the building has been observed. The fourth floor collapsed onto the third floor, as did the connecting stairs linking the third floor to the fourth and fifth floors. There was a fire on the third floor. An 83-year-old woman died on the fifth floor, and a 69-year-old man has not been found. Ten people have sought medical assistance at the hospital, with no life-threatening injuries. One section of the building is uninhabitable. It is an old building made of sand-lime bricks. Work has been carried out in recent years, but it has structural problems,” Llatja said.