By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part Three
Memorie.al / The tragic accidents that occurred on Sunday evening, March 22, 2026, within a span of just a few hours – the first near Drashovica along the Kotë–Vlorë axis with three victims, and the second in Divjakë – as well as the consecutive road collisions in these first three months of the year in districts such as Malësia e Madhe, Shkodra, Puka, Lezha, Mirdita, Tirana, Librazhd, Elbasan, Lushnja, and as far as Tepelena, seem to have turned into a “refrain” or a terrifying “routine” that is claiming human lives with the proportions of a war casualty list. The year 2026 began with this bitter taste on its very second day. On the morning of Friday, January 2, a violent collision between two vehicles on the Lezhë–Shkodër axis, near the village of Gocaj, took the lives of spouses Elona and Petrit Florini, aged 45 and 53, a teacher and a police officer by profession.
While we are introduced to this “black list” of accidents every day through real-time media reports, it must be emphasized that such events, often of equally tragic proportions, accompanied the country even before the 1990s. During the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his successor, Ramiz Alia, hundreds of people lost their lives on Albania’s roads, but as is well known, those events were never made public. On the contrary, they were considered a “State Secret” and absolute silence reigned over them.
Based on this shocking analogy, in this article, we are publishing some of the automobile accidents that occurred in various districts of the country during the 1970s and ’80s, where dozens of people were killed. Through these archival documents, we will become acquainted with the names of dozens of Albanians who lost their lives in the curves of Gomsiqe in Puka, Krrabë in Elbasan, Potom in Skrapar, Batër in Dibra, Shpal in Mirdita, Kudhës in Himara, or the ravines of Leshnica in the Saranda district, etc., completing a painful and little-known chapter of daily life in the Albania of the past half-century.
Regarding these past tragedies, we are informed by secret archival documents extracted from the Archives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (now declassified), which are being published for the first time with the respective facsimiles by Memorie.al.
Continued from the previous issue
SECRET OPERATIONAL COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, DATED AUGUST 8, 1980, ANNOUNCING THE SERIOUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ON THE ZERQN – TËRNOVË ROAD, WHERE 2 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES AND 3 OTHERS WERE INJURED.
SOCIALIST PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA S E C R E T
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Example No.1
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, 2.8.1980
OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION NO. 182
PESHKOPIA
On 1.8.1980, on the Zerqan – Tërnova road, in a place called Rrushi i Vogël, a “Skoda” with license plates KR 81-17 from the Laçi park, driven by driver Islam Kadri Vuthi, aged 59, resident of Mamurras – Krujë, which was loaded with elements for protective works, fell about 130 meters into a stream. The following died in this accident: Qemal Seit Kola, aged 27, resident of Çerenec, crane driver in the 21-66 department, Bulqizë, and Edmond Idajet Ceka, aged 14, resident of Laç, student, who was going on vacation to visit relatives in the village of Zerqan. Also injured were Qemal Bardhi, 22, director of the Tërnovo school, Hazbi Selim Kacani, 34, assembly technician in the upper unit, Hilmi Jashar Kamberi, 24, officer in that unit, born and residing in the village of Zerqan; soldier Bashkim Nuredin Keta, from the village of Sopot, an employee of that unit, and the driver. Preliminary results show that the driver had drunk two glasses of alcohol. The car was severely damaged. The matter is being investigated.
CHAIRMAN
PILO SHANTO
SECRET OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR DATED 17 MAY 1982, NOTIFYING THE SERIOUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ON THE PATOS-KASHICA ROAD, WHERE 9 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES, AND 5 OTHER PEOPLE WERE INJURED
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA S E C R E T
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Copy No. 1
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, 17.5.1982
OPERATIVE COMMUNICATION NO. 114
FIERI
On 16.5.1982, at around 16.00, the “Skoda” vehicle with license plates EL 94 – 54, belonging to the Rruga-Ura company, driven by driver Kadri Haruan Hasani, aged 29, resident of the village of Drenova, on the Patos – Kasicë road, crashed. As a result, the following died: Avni Hajdar Ahmetaj, 35, from the village of Gadurovë, Selman Bajram Avdia, 53, resident of the village of Romës, Veledin Abaz Selimaj, 44, resident of the village of Osmanzezë – Berat, Fatbardha Selimaj, 20, resident of the village of Osmanzezë – Berat, Sali Kamber Gërbi, 47, resident of the village of Qesarat Tepelena, Xhevdet Nevruz Shahaj, 36, resident of the village of Gracan, Qemal Zeneli, 27, resident of Patos, Vllasi Sota, 30, resident of Fier, engineer, at the Oil Exploitation Company, and Falmur Halil Hajdari, 35, resident of the village of Greshicë, were seriously injured, Drita Sako Nelaj, 19, resident of the village of Kalivaç Tepelena, Kujtim Rrapo Lanaj, 24, resident of the village Nine, Enver Mehmet Avdia, aged 32, resident of the village of Selishte, Xhemal Shahin Goxhaj, aged 46, resident of the village of Kutë and Hair Tefik Hazeraj, aged 30, resident of the village of Aranitas, who were hospitalized, the driver was detained, the case is being investigated.
HEAD OF THE GENERAL BRANCH
PILO SHANTO
SECRET OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR DATED 12 AUGUST 1982, NOTIFYING THE SERIOUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ON THE KIR-PREKAL-SHKODĖR ROAD, WHERE 28 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES, AND 36 OTHER PEOPLE WERE INJURED
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA S E C R E T
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Example No.1
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, 12.8.1982
OPERATIVE COMMUNICATION NO. 191
SHKODRA
On 10.8.1985, the driver Kol Engjëll Çurshoi, aged 51, resident of Shkodër, with the vehicle “Skoda” with license plates SH 29–73, on the Kir-Prekal-Shkodër road, between Kir and Prekal, met the bus of the Dukagjin-Shkodër line, which was defective and took its passengers to the “Skoda”. On the way, at the place corresponding to the high-voltage pole, No. 390, the car crashed, falling from a height of 40 m. into the Kir River, where 28 people died and 36 others were injured, who are out of danger and are in hospital.
HEAD OF THE GENERAL BRANCH
BAUDIN KAZANI
SECRET OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR DATED APRIL 1, 1986, NOTIFYING THE SERIOUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD FUSHË – BULQIZË, WHERE 4 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA S E C R E T
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Example No.1
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, 1.4.1985
OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION NO. 76
DIBRA
On 30.3.1985, the “Skoda” autobot vehicle with license plate DI 89-89 with a trailer driven by driver Gani Aqif Elezi, age 48, on the Fushë-Bulqizë road in a place called Shoshaj, the trailer’s pin came off and detached from the car and hit, killing Qazim Xheladin Përkola, Arben Ramiz Përkola, age 17, Hysen Ramadan Deda, age 26, and Jonus Tahir Përkola, age 41, residents of Fushë-Bulqizë, workers in the chrome mine. The driver was arrested.
HEAD OF THE GENERAL BRANCH
BAUDIN KAZANI
SECRET OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR DATED 28 JANUARY 1986, NOTIFYING THE SERIOUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ON THE KLOS – MAT ROAD, WHERE 5 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES AND ANOTHER WAS INJURED
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA S E C R E T
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Example No.1
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, 28.1.1986
OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION NO. 22
BURRELI
On 27.1.1986, the driver Ali Mehmet Kuka, aged 26, with the car “Varshavë” of the Democratic Front of the Mat district, traveling from Klosi to Mat, in a place called Përroi i Keçit, slipped on the ice and fell into a precipice from a height of 15 meters, the car caught fire. As a result, the driver and Luljeta Ferit Kuka, Dylber Mehmet Kuka, Agron Mehmet Juka, Besnik Mehmet Kuka died, and Violeta Zaimi was injured.
HEAD OF THE GENERAL BRANCH
BAUDIN KAZANI
SECRET OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR DATED 26 OCTOBER 1988, NOTIFYING THE SERIOUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD KRASTA KAFA E BUALLIT WHERE 4 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES AND SEVERAL OTHERS WERE INJURED
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA S E C R E T
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Example No.1
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, 23.XI.1989
OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION NO. 278
VLORA
On 22.XI.1989, at 14.30, at the place called Ura e Kudhësit, the bus of the Higher Agricultural Institute of Tirana crashed, with 17 fifth-year students and lecturers, resulting in the deaths of two people, the driver Ali Riza Omuri and the student Albert Luigj Shakaj, and the serious injuries of 4 other people. All of them were taken to the Himara hospital. At 18.10, two helicopters that had gone from Tirana to retrieve the wounded departed from Himara at 5-minute intervals.
Five minutes later, the residents of the village of Vuno heard a noise and saw flames above the village. This was the first helicopter to crash. There were 12 people inside the helicopter, of whom 3 were crew members, 4 students and 5 medical personnel (3 from Tirana, 2 from Himara). In search of the second helicopter, the Dhërmi border post and the Army PSV were alerted at around 21:00 that a flame was seen in the Qafë e Llogorasë Pass and it is thought to be the second helicopter, which has 9 people inside.
Investigations are underway regarding this helicopter to determine the location where it crashed and the extraction of the victims. So far, the main cause is thought to be strong winds and dense fog. From both helicopters, there were these people: Thoma Plasa, lecturer from Tirana, Ilirjana Ibrahimi, student from Berat, Elida Hyseni, student from Tepelena, Taip Lloçi, student from Durrës, Donika Ferra, student from Fieri, Zef Suli, student from Lezha, Xhelal Ndreu, student from Peshkopia, Agim Qarri, doctor from Tirana, Kujtim Hysi, doctor from Tirana, Suzana Floqi, doctor from Tirana, Dionis Nakuçi, doctor from Tirana, Dhimitra Rjeka, nurse from Tirana, Mefail Metollari, military doctor of the Himara Brigade, Piro Pulo, assistant doctor of the hospital in Himara, and the crew of the two helicopters, Agron Galanxhi, pilot, Veledin Resuli, pilot, Vangjel Postoli, pilot, Tafil Zego, pilot, Enver Haka, mechanic, Pandeli Zhupa, mechanic./ Memorie.al
MANAGING GROUP RESPONSIBLE
RAKIP LELI
