So, I have received some new news, at least, it's news to me, so...here goes.
Just in case those videos didn't convince you, MSNBC reports:
"The first blast — which left a massive crater at the depot — blew out doors and windows at Tirana’s international airport and was heard as far away as Skopje, the Macedonian capital, some 120 miles away."
That's the newest and most technologically advanced airport in the Balkans, if not Eastern Europe.
I have also heard rumors that a hand was found in the quarter of Tirana called Laprakë, some 11 kilometers away from the explosion.
Here's y'all a map in case 11 kilometers doesn't seem like a long way. The explosion happened near Vorë:
View Larger Map
Still no explanation...
26.3.08
16.3.08
Explosion in Albania
Labels:
From the depths
It's truly hard to keep up on the news (read: tragedies) of the world these days, but I just want to send my condolences to the victims of the Munitions blast in Gerdec yesterday. For those of you who don't know, there was a military munitions depot in this little village located just outside the capital city of Tirana which contained a lot of ordnances ready to be disposed of. Well, their disposal came much quicker than anyone would have thought.
So far the death toll is at 8 (according to The AP), with over 240 injured. This really hits home to me, and I want the Albanians here and there to know that the world really does care what's going on there.
A friend of mine is an anchor for A1 Television, and was on location all day today. He said that it was like Chernobyl, just without the radiation.
There is a video at another news station in Albania, which really hit home to me. Somebody had a cell phone and recorded the main explosion. If you listen closely, you can hear all the small munitions exploding before the main explosion hits. Truly a devastating ordeal.
Here is the link: http://www.top-channel.tv/ then under "Video" (right side) click on "Tjeter filmim i shperthimit," and "Momenti i shperthimit tragjik"
You can see how powerful the shockwave really is. Be not afraid, there is nothing gory in these short clips.
UPDATE: I found better links on youtube.
At the end, they are saying, "Hey, let's go, let's go" and "Better that we were there (away from the blast)"
If you don't understand Albanian, have a little patience, or skip to about the 55 second mark. The audio here is really amazing compared to the other ones I've seen. At the end here, you hear his mom ask where he is, and he responds that he's okay.
Please keep these people in your hearts, minds, and prayers as they recover from such an unfortunate accident.
So far the death toll is at 8 (according to The AP), with over 240 injured. This really hits home to me, and I want the Albanians here and there to know that the world really does care what's going on there.
A friend of mine is an anchor for A1 Television, and was on location all day today. He said that it was like Chernobyl, just without the radiation.
There is a video at another news station in Albania, which really hit home to me. Somebody had a cell phone and recorded the main explosion. If you listen closely, you can hear all the small munitions exploding before the main explosion hits. Truly a devastating ordeal.
Here is the link: http://www.top-channel.tv/ then under "Video" (right side) click on "Tjeter filmim i shperthimit," and "Momenti i shperthimit tragjik"
You can see how powerful the shockwave really is. Be not afraid, there is nothing gory in these short clips.
UPDATE: I found better links on youtube.
At the end, they are saying, "Hey, let's go, let's go" and "Better that we were there (away from the blast)"
If you don't understand Albanian, have a little patience, or skip to about the 55 second mark. The audio here is really amazing compared to the other ones I've seen. At the end here, you hear his mom ask where he is, and he responds that he's okay.
Please keep these people in your hearts, minds, and prayers as they recover from such an unfortunate accident.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
