A fire broke out on the first floor of a four-story residential building in the Skënderbeg neighborhood of Lezhë, northern Albania, triggering panic among residents as thick smoke rapidly spread throughout the building.

The blaze engulfed an apartment where a man and his underage daughter were reportedly present at the time of the incident.

The situation prompted an emergency response after another resident alerted authorities, helping ensure a swift intervention.

Firefighters arrived within minutes and managed to bring the flames under control. Working alongside police officers, emergency crews evacuated residents and inspected apartments floor by floor to ensure no one remained trapped inside.

According to building administrator Man Sinani, the incident occurred at approximately 4 p.m., when he noticed flames on the first floor while descending the stairs.

“I was going down the stairs when I saw flames on the first floor. I immediately realized something had happened. We alerted the police and began getting people out. I want to thank the firefighters, who evacuated everyone from the first floor to the top floor. The building was filled with thick smoke,” Sinani said.

Eight people suffered respiratory problems and injuries caused by the heavy smoke and were transported to hospital for medical treatment. Preliminary reports indicate that none of them are in life-threatening condition.