Firefighters, military personel and emergency rescue crews are using excavators to search for survivors trapped under the rubble of apartment buildings which collapsed in the powerful pre-dawn tremor. The 6.4 magnitude quake was felt across the southern Balkans just before 4am local time and was followed by multiple aftershocks. Nearby Bosnia was rocked by another quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4.

Defence ministry spokeswoman Albana Qehajaj said the bodies of two people were recovered from a collapsed building in the coastal city of Durres, 20 miles west of Tirana.

One more person had been found dead in the same building earlier in the morning, while two bodies were removed from the rubble of a collapsed building in Thumane.

Another man died after jumping from his home to escape the tremor in Kurbin, 30 miles north of the capital.

Health Minister Ogerta Manastirliu said 300 people were treated for injuries in Durres, Tirana and Thumane.

JUST IN: Albania earthquake: Watch devastating aftermath of 6.4 quake 

An earthquake struck off of the coast of Albania (Image: REUTERS)

Albanian prime minister Edi Rama said all government agencies are on alert and "intensively working to save lives at the fatal spots in Durres and Thumane".

He said: “It is a dramatic moment where we should preserve calm, stay alongside each other to cope with this shock.”

Mr Rama said neighbouring countries, the European Union and the US had offered to send assistance.

He said he had spoken to his Italian, Greek and Turkish counterparts and with the EU and US embassies in Tirana.

Rescuers pull a young boy from the rubble of a collapsed building (Image: TWITTER)

Authorities reported scores of aftershocks and called on people in the most affected areas to stay out of their homes.

Residents reported seeing cracks in their apartment walls. Some people were seen leaving their homes to go to open areas.

Local media reported that a restaurant was destroyed in western Durres.

At least three apartment buildings and a power distribution station were damaged in Thumane.

DON'T MISS
Albania earthquake latest: Has a tsunami warning been issued?[ANALYSIS]
Albania earthquake LIVE: 6 dead, 140 wounded after 6.4 magnitude quake[LIVE]
Albania earthquake MAPPED: Which countries felt 6.4 magnitude quake?[MAP]

Rescuers search the rubble for survivors after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Albania (Image: TWITTER)

The earthquake was 6.4 in magnitude (Image: Getty Images)

An unidentified man, with a wound dressing on his right cheek, told News24 TV his daughter and niece were among those trapped in a collapsed apartment building.

The man said: "I talked with my daughter and niece on the phone. They said they are well and are waiting for the rescue. Could not talk to my wife. There are other families, but I could not talk to them."

An Albanian Defence Ministry spokeswoman said: "Firefighters and army staff are helping residents caught under the rubble in Durres and the nearby village of Thumane.”

The Buildings collapsed from the earthquakes tremors (Image: Twitter/ @KKarabolli)

Witness described residents fleeing apartment buildings in Tirana, some carrying babies. Power was down in several neighbourhoods.

A strong aftershock rocked the city three hours after the main tremor and several smaller tremors were recorded in the hour before the main quake, which was also felt across the Balkans and in the southern Italian region of Puglia.

The strength of the earthquake has affected nearby countries including Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina,  Italy, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia.

Southern Bosnia was also hit by a powerful aftershock.

The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, which monitors global earthquake activity, said a shallow earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 occurred south-east of the capital, Sarajevo.

Tremors could be felt across the country (Image: Google)

Scott Cuthbertson shared an image on Twitter of “superficial cracks” which appeared in a hotel wall he was staying in .

He captioned his Tweet: “Nobody here knows what to do. Hotel staff haven’t been trained for an earthquake.

“Many guests are still outside, some in the lobby, some have gone back to bed.”