The deputy head of the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) Petrit Vasili accused the government today of putting pressure on inspectors who are verifying buildings damaged by the November 26 earthquake.
Vasili wrote on a Facebook post that being under government pressure, inspectors are often conducting superficial inspections, putting many people in danger.
He wrote that the government is focused on using the media to make people believe that it has the situation under control, but on the ground the situation is concerning.
Vasili denounced what appeared to be four different inspection reports for two different schools, signed by different people. The second report for each school said the buildings were appropriate for use, while the previous report signed by different inspectors said the opposite or urged the government to do a more thorough inspection and repairs.
The former LSI MP said there were more contradictory reports like these, including hospital buildings. He called on the government to quit this “irresponsible behavior [which] brings a very grave danger to people’s lives and stresses them even more at a time when they need more than ever for calm.”
Inhabitants of the two collapsed buildings in Thumane where dozens of people died have said they were told by the municipality after the September earthquake that their apartment blocks were safe.
Back then, Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj also proudly announced he had broken a regional record by assessing all damage of the September earthquake in only 5 days. Independent international experts told Exit News that no professional inspections could have taken place in such a short time.
