Several killed in Albania as earthquake tears down buildings

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Rescue workers were seen pulling bodies from piles of rubble on Tuesday (November 26) after a deadly earthquake rocked Albania's capital, Tirana and surrounding areas.

The 6.4 magnitude quake was the most powerful in decades... causing buildings to collapse, burying residents underneath.

(SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) LOCAL RESIDENT, SHALIP VENA, SAYING:

"When the quake hit the lights went off, we couldn't see anything, everything fell apart and crumbled."

The defense ministry said 39 people had been pulled out alive.

But several are known to have died.

Emergency workers told local media one of those killed was an elderly woman who had saved her grandson by cradling him with her body.

Officials said the quake's epicenter was in Durres, and was followed by 100 aftershocks.

Tremors were also felt across the Balkans and in the southern Italian region of Puglia.

Located along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, between Greece and Macedonia, Albania experiences regular seismic activity.

An earthquake of 5.6 magnitude shook the country on Sept. 21, damaging around 500 houses.