2008 Gërdec explosions

In the catastrophic explosion of Gerdec is a tragic accident, which occurred on 15 March 2008 at 12:05 local time clock in a munitions depot northwest of the central Albanian village Gerdec. During the hours continuous explosions 15 km west of Tirana 26 people died. More than 300 people were injured and more than 2,300 buildings were damaged or destroyed.

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In the ammunition depot, the company Alb- Demil let dismantle old ammunition on behalf of the Albanian army. According to media reports completed the physically demanding work alongside men and women, teenagers and some children. The workers were trained in this dangerous work hardly. Probably because of carelessness ignited explosives lying around. 12:05 clock local time on 15 March 2008 a chain reaction of explosions was triggered, which continued until 02:00 clock the next night. You have heard about several tens of kilometers.

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26 people died at the scene of the accident or as a result of their injuries in hospitals. More than 300 people were slightly injured to severe. The two nearby villages were completely destroyed and the surrounding area with about 4,000 residents had to be evacuated in the affected zone of the state of emergency was declared. The 4000 people were in hotels and camping accommodation. The area is littered with fragments and unexploded ordnance. The ammunition manufactured in China and the Soviet Union, which was broken down there without any security measures of unskilled workers from the surrounding villages came from the communist regime applied stocks and was partly more than 40 years old.

From the nearby highway Tirana - Durres car windows shattered by the enormous pressure wave. The resulting cloud of fire rose up to several hundred meters.

According to government figures, 2306 buildings were damaged, of which 318 were completely destroyed.

The then Minister of Defense Fatmir Mediu (PR ) occurred shortly afterwards returned on March 17, 2008. Three days after the disaster, a national day of mourning was convened by the government; Flags waved at half-mast and in many cities there were funeral but also demonstrations against the government, led mainly by the opposition Socialists.

The judicial process surrounding the responsibility for the disaster lasted over three years. The main culprit for the disaster were by the prosecution of entrepreneurs Mihal Delijorgji, Ylli Pinari, a senior manager in the Department of Defense, and Dritan Minxholi, head of the private munitions disposal accused. On November 1, 2011, a first judgment fell. The three main defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment. On March 12, 2012 their sentences were reduced to 18 respectively 10 years. A total of 19 persons were convicted.

Alb- Demil

The dismantling of the various ammunition, the stemmed mainly from the communist era in Albania, was carried out by the company Alb- Demil. Alb- Demil was a subsidiary of U.S. Southern Ammunition Co., based in Loris, South Carolina. 2006, the company was charged with the dismantling of more than 140 million munitions by the Albanian Ministry of Defence. This SALW ammunition were repackaged and passed the Afghan National Army.