Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama reacts during the funeral of eight Lala family members who died in the earthquake in Durres, Albania, on Nov. 30, 2019. (Photo by Arben Celi/Xinhua)

Nine persons were arrested and 8 declared wanted for being responsible for the safety problems of the buildings which collapsed after a powerful earthquake hit Albania, police said on Saturday.

51 people were killed in the Nov. 26 earthquake. Afterwords, authorities set up a special group to investigate the safety problems of the collapsed buildings.

According to prosecutors, the damages caused to the collapsed buildings were due to the fact that constructions were carried out without respecting the construction regulations and standards.

Albanian police believe that some of the persons declared wanted have travelled abroad soon after the 6.4-magnitude earthquake.

Rescuers work at a site of a collapsed building in Durres, Albania, Nov. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)