The building of a private financial institution on Durrës Street, attacked and looted the day before, was engulfed in flames this Wednesday afternoon. The fire risks spreading to surrounding buildings, including the Vatican Embassy, residential buildings and businesses located near the facility.
The incident comes on a second day of tension in Tirana, where student protests have been accompanied by acts of violence and clashes with police. Earlier, protesters attacked the Ministry of Education building with Molotov cocktails, causing fires on the first and second floors. During the incident, chants of “Burn! Burn!” were heard from the crowd, while explosives were thrown towards the building.
After a few minutes, police forces intervened to remove the protesters from the area, while also engaging in efforts to extinguish the fire at the ministry.
Tensions also spread to a second-tier bank branch near Durrës Street, where protesters broke down the main door and took documents from shelves. Meanwhile, the fire that has engulfed the private financial institution's building poses a risk to other nearby facilities.
Students from the University of Medicine, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and high school students also joined the protest.
Wednesday's clashes come a day after incidents in which several people were injured. Tirana police announced that they had arrested 16 people and prosecuted 49 others for Tuesday's events.
As the protest continues for the second day in a row, the situation in the Durrës Street area remains tense.
