27/11/2019
A day after the strong earthquake EMS Albanian Port Operator is still actively supporting the rescue teams in the city of Durres. The 6.4-magnitude quake in the early hours of Tuesday, 26 November had its epicenter not far from Durres. Many buildings in the port city were destroyed or damaged. According to latest reports at least 26 people were killed, hundreds injured and many are still missing.
Ems APO together with few other companies were the first privat companies in Durres to react. The management immediately sent equipment and operators to assist rescue teams to relieve trapped people under collapsed buildings and clean blocked roads. The rescue workers themselves worked under dangerous conditions as many damaged and unstable buildings threatened to collapse by the frequent aftershocks, which lasted the whole day. „Yesterday was a day of great worries for us“, says Manfred Müller, CEO of EMS-Fehn-Group. „We were extremely relieved when the report came in that all staff members from EMS APO got away unhurt.“ The same applies to the staff of German Albanian Logistics Agency (GALA), also situated in Durres.
Today terminal operations at EMS APO are reduced to a minimum needed, whilst EMS APO employees continues to support cleanup operations in the city with bobcats and wheel loaders. All other staff members have been requested to go home and take care of their families until the situation changes.
„At the moment saving peoples lives is our main concern“, says Manfred Müller, „our operators are doing what they can to help the rescue teams. We will stay as long as we are needed.“
At the same time plans are being made to help those employees who lost their homes. „We are currently checking several options to provide temporary quarters,“ says Manfred Müller. „The rebuilding of the houses will take time and with the capacities of the whole EMS-Fehn-Group at our disposal we will find a way to provide transitional accommodations for our employees.“