A 6.4 magnitude earthquake has hit Albania, bringing down buildings and leaving people trapped under rubble.
The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake hit at an approximate depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles) early Tuesday local time.
The epicenter was in the port city of Durres, about 13 miles from the capital Tirana. Social media videos from the area show several buildings have collapsed.
The Albanian Ministry of Health said on Tuesday morning that at least six people had been killed in the earthquake.
The health minister, Ogerta Manastirliu, said 300 injured people had been treated in Durres, Tirana and Thumane, with more arriving in hospitals.
All government agencies are on alert and “intensively working to save lives at the fatal spots in Durres and Thumane,” Prime Minister Edi Rama said. “It is a dramatic moment where we should preserve calm, stay alongside each other to cope with this shock,” he wrote on his Facebook page.–DT