The moment magnitude 6.4 Albania earthquake which struck the Durrës region on
November 26, 2019, caused extensive damage to a large number of buildings, of nearly
all types of construction. Its epicenter was located offshore northwestern Durrës, about 7 km
north of the city and 30 km west from the capital city of Tirana. Officially, 52 died and 3000+
were injured, and thousands were left homeless. Approximately, ~80000 buildings were adversely
affected. Buildings damaged during this event were representative of construction types in
form and structural system to those of a similar vintage found in Europe. This study
focuses on the damage suffered by the masonry and RC buildings during this earthquake
and explains the reasons for observed failure modes. Examples of several damage types, as
observed by the authors during the reconnaissance visit to the stricken area are presented,
along with technically substantiated description of the reasons for the damages.