Albania earthquake: Death toll rises to 46

The death toll in the earthquake that struck Albania on Tuesday has climbed to 46, the European country's Defence Ministry said.

According to the ministry's statement on Thursday, 22 of the killed are from Durres and Kruje, Xinhua reported.

The hope for finding more survivors is fading as rescue operations are coming to an end four days after the quake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale hit the country on Tuesday morning.

Albania was shaken by at least 250 aftershocks - three of them magnitude 5 - from Tuesday to Wednesday. Hundreds of people spent the night sleeping in tents pitched by the emergency services.

Italy, France, Romania, Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia have sent 200 specialized troops, tools and teams of tracker dogs to help the relief effort.

The government declared Wednesday a day of mourning and Prime Minister Edi Rama said the authorities would rehouse people who had lost their homes in hotels during the winter.

“I believe we shall put them in new houses in 2020, in better housing than they had,” Rama said in a televised comment.

He said a donor conference with Turkey and regional countries would be organized and he would discuss potential help with NATO allies during next week’s summit in London.

Albania is the poorest country in Europe, with per capita income a quarter of the European Union average, according to the International Monetary Fund.