The Albanian government has declared a national day of mourning in honor of the victims from the strong earthquake of November 26. So far, 24 persons have been confirmed dead and hundreds are injured. The number of casualties is expected to grow because there are many people under the rubbles which are feared to be dead.

Premier Edi Rama announced today directly from the meeting of the council of the ministers the national day of mourning has started. He explained normally they’d be three national days of mourning, but that is impossible due to the national holidays of November 28 and 29. However, Rama noted November 28 and 29 will be solidarity days instead of celebrations.

“Today the government will approve the declaration of the national day of mourning. Since this day precedes the national days of November 28 and 29, it becomes impossible to have three days of mourning as we’d have liked due to the extraordinary dimensions of the tragedy which very probably will grow. It has made impossible to imagine the National Flag at half-staff in the days of November 28 and 29 as it is an internationally confirmed norm that a country’s national days can never be mourning days”, Rama said.