Over 2,200 aftershocks registered in Albania in one month following deadly quake

TIRANA -- Over 2,200 aftershocks have been registered in Albania in the one month following a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit the country on Nov 26, the Albanian seismologist Rexhep Koci said on Thursday in an interview with local media.

According to Koci, up to now the specialists of the Institute of Geosciences, Energy, Water and Environment in Albania have registered over 2,200 aftershocks following the deadly earthquake on Nov 26.

"The activated seismic area is not stabilized yet, but the number of aftershocks has declined," Koci said.

In the past month, said Koci, the magnitude of the aftershocks has been small, but the activated seismic area is still releasing energy.

Seismologists say the aftershocks that follow a major earthquake like the one on Nov 26 are normal and they usually continue for a long time, adding that "there is no place for panic."

The 6.4-magnitude quake on Nov 26 has left 51 people dead and thousands of buildings, apartments and hotels severely damaged, mainly in the regions of Durres, Lezha and Tirana.