After the collapse of socialist Yugoslavia, the Balkans became defenseless against earthquakes
The Balkan countries, located in a zone of high seismic danger, are practically unprepared for a major earthquake, as proven by the recent tragedy in Albania.
The New York Times writes about this, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“The November 26 earthquake in Albania killed 51 people, leaving hundreds hospitalized and homeless. The tragedy was a warning for the region, which has been devastated by larger earthquakes in the past. Experts warn that it is ill-prepared for the next big earthquake,” the article says.
The author argues that successive Balkan governments have failed to prevent the risks associated with aging buildings.
“They also encouraged a construction boom in the 1990s, during the transition from communism to capitalism, when safety standards often fell by the wayside. As a result, millions of people live in houses that are unlikely to survive a major earthquake,” the publication writes.
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