Twenty people are dead and hundreds hurt after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Albania early Tuesday, officials said.
Update 1:03 p.m. EST Nov. 26: The death toll has climbed to 20, but crews have been able to make some rescues as they continue to comb through the rubble that was left after the quake hit overnight local time, The Associated Press reported.
A child was found when an excavator moved a concrete slab in Durres. The boy cried when the slab moved and men were able to move reinforcement bars out of the way to get his leg that was trapped. A second child was found later, near where a body had been found. So far, 43 people had been found alive by Tuesday evening, the AP reported.
Original report: According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the massive temblor, which occurred at 3:54 a.m. local time, was centered about 7 1/2 miles west-southwest of Mamurras. The quake also prompted several aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 5.4, The Associated Press reported.
Of the 14 killed, at least seven were found dead in buildings that collapsed in Durres, the country's Defense Ministry said. Crews also discovered five bodies in Thumane, one in Kurbin and another in Lezha, according to the AP.
The health ministry said at least 325 people were hurt, CNN reported, but the AP is reporting that number could be as high as 600.
In a Tuesday morning Facebook post, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama shared updates from emergency officials.
"The powerful earthquake has created serious consequences, and unfortunately, we have lost lives," he wrote in Albanian, urging the public to remain calm and "stand by each other."
Officials from Kosovo, Greece and Turkey have all pledged to help with search and rescue efforts, the AP reported.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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