By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Memorie.al / In the archives of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his successor, Ramiz Alia, human tragedies and loss of life are often alienated into cold administrative reports, where dry bureaucratic language attempts to conceal the true dimensions of extremely grave events. One such shocking example is Operative Communication No. 208 of the Directorate of Administration and Studies at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, dated September 4, 1974. This secret document sheds light on an event with the most severe human consequences that occurred in the Saranda area, precisely in the space between the villages of Mursi and Xarë.
The event of September 3, 1974, begins with a common agricultural practice of the time: the burning of pastures by the “Vrinë” Agricultural Enterprise in a place called Mallofre. However, what was supposed to be a controlled process turned into a true catastrophe, as the flames became uncontrollable. The document reflects the figures of a very heavy toll: 15 people were caught in the fire, of which four lost their lives immediately, among them children and young people aged 14 and 15, while others were hospitalized in critical condition.
Beyond the pain for the victims, the archival document also reveals how the state apparatus of the Sigurimi (Security) and public order functioned when confronting emergencies. The immediate intervention of the operational group focused on finding legal and administrative responsibilities, resulting in the arrest of three people, including shepherds and brigade leaders, party members, accused of starting the fire without permission from the Forestry Enterprise. Through this archival text, the reader not only learns about a forgotten event with tragic consequences for the local community of the Saranda area, but also about the mechanism of how the communist state functioned, which after every disaster, quickly sought culprits within the structures of the enterprises where they occurred, without pointing the finger higher up. For more details, the document in question, which is published for the first time with the corresponding facsimile by Memorie.al, informs us.
SECRET ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT WITH THE OPERATIVE COMMUNICATION OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, DATED SEPTEMBER 4, 1974
SARANDA
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Copy No. 1
DIRECTORATE OF ADMIN. AND STUDIES Tirana, 4.9.1974
OPERATIVE COMMUNICATION NO. 208
On 3.9.1974, at 15:30, between the villages of Mursi and Xarë, in a place called Mallofre, the Agricultural Enterprise “Vrinë” set fire to burn pastures, but it spread widely and 15 people were burned.
Of these, the following died:
1). Vito Bega, age 15;
2). Ziko Poçi, age 22;
3) Jorgjio Poçi, age 27; and
4) Pepeli Poçi, age 14, from the village of Xarë.
The others were hospitalized and their condition is very serious. (Besim Aliu, age 35, Katerina Gramozi, age 34, and Vasillio Tanushi, age 43). At 18:30, the fire was extinguished. Approximately 50 hectares of pasture were burned.
The operational group went to the site and arrested: Mihallaq Apostol Shëngjini, age 35, born in Kolonjë and resident in the village of Shalës, shepherd; Abaz Veiz Kërkuti, age 53, born and resident in Golem, Gjirokastër, brigade leader, party member; and Nikolla Leonidha Burisi, age 26, resident in the village of Xarë, livestock brigade leader, party member, because they set the fire without permission from the forestry enterprise. / Memorie.al
DIRECTOR
PILO SHANTO
