"Almost all the miners died", the mysterious history of uranium research in Albania

In cooperation with Chinese experts, they started research in Nimçë in Kukës and Muhur in Dibra. The workers reached the goal, met the ore, although the possibilities of exploitation and the conditions of the ore were low. Periodical reports documenting everything that happened in research were made by the leaders to the prime minister.

"The results of the work were reported to the Prime Minister by the heads of the expeditions, the corresponding relations were drawn up... The aim and objectives were to establish that we have such mineralization in Albania, this was achieved, the mineralization was found", said Gëzim Shima, geologist.

"In Albania, we have Nimçen with industrial conditions but with very low reserves, we have traces of uranium in Muhur, we have uranium in the coals but the coal mines are almost closed, we also have uranium in the phosphorite of Fushë Vardë and in the phosphorite of Guzmar, in the field of Vardë 3 times lower than guzmar, while guzmar 0.08% U3O8", said Qerim Ismeni, metallurgist and environmentalist

The searches were done through special devices which, after detecting radiation in the area, started the search. This signal, for the experts, was clear that it was uranium emitting radiation.

"In all the facilities where uranium is being worked on, where people have been working to discover it in order to make measurements, discoveries are made in two ways, by measuring the radiation, that is, the trace, because the radiation is emitted by uranium, through physical measurements and through analysis chemical" said Qerim Ismeni, metallurgist and environmentalist

The exploration process in both areas achieved the objectives of meeting the ore. But his conditions were low and his reserves were few. In these conditions, after a long period of research, the work was stopped. Today, those who worked in the mine and are still alive can be counted on the fingers of the hand. The consequences on their health were irreparable.

"The number of workers of Nimçe is almost... can anyone be found alive or not, unfortunately they have also passed away at the age of 55", said Qerim Ismeni, metallurgist and environmentalist.

Miners must shut up about the secret mineral, what the measurements reveal today in the galleries of Nimca about uranium

Not only those who worked in the mine lost their lives at an early age, but also the children were born with various health problems, starting with mental health problems. Then, when the party decided and everyone obeyed, no one knew how dangerous the ore they were looking for was. They didn't even know the name.

“Punonjësit merrnin 70 lekë ne ditë për ushqimin, çdo ditë edhe ditët e pushimit, 4 kostume blu xhins ne vit, 4 palë çizme, 4 këmisha, 4 palë brendshme në vit, pra ishte një trajtim i mirë. Pas punë punëtorët hiqnin rrobat i linin aty, vishnin rroba të tjera... kur vinin i gjenin të lara të thara e të sigurisë... kjo ishte ... gjithçka ishte në rregull”, u shpreh gjeologu, Gëzim Shima. 

Procesi i kërkimit u përfshi nga një mister, siç ishte dhe vetë ajo periudhë. Njerëzit mes njëri tjetrit përsërisnin se edhe muret kanë veshë. Në fshehtësi të plotë u hartua plani i detajuar me ekspertët vendas dhe të huaj. Minatorët u joshën me pagesa të larta, por asnjë prej tyre nuk e dinte se çfarë rreziku iu kanosej. Në rreth të ngushtë ishte vendosur që ata që do të punonin në minierë do të kishin të paktën tre fëmijë dhe do t’iu nënshtroheshin disa rregullave të forta, por udhëheqësit e dinin se cili do të ishte fundi i minatorëve.

“Gjithë shqiptarët punon në punë shteti, por jo të gjithë bënin llafe në shtëpi duke treguar historira punë”, u shpreh gjeologu, Gëzim Shima 

Vetë punëtorët e këtyre galerive, flisnin për një mineral, por asnjëherë nuk përmendej emri. Këtu jemi në Nimçë së bashku me gjeologun Gëzim Shima, në zonën kur dikur ishin galeritë e uraniumit. Të gjitha janë të mbyllura. Siç tregojnë banorët janë izoluar me beton hyrjet duke shmangur çdo mundësi që diksuh të tentojë të afrohet. Pranë galerive, rreth 300 metra ndodhen tre shtëpi në të cilat ka banorë. Gjeologu Shima kujton bashkëpunimin me specialistët kinezë.

“Ekspertët e huaj ishin specialistët kinezë nëpërmjet gjuhës ruse, ishte një përkthyes që ua përkthente rusisht fjalët e tyre kinezçe shqiptarëve”, u shpreh gjeologu, Gëzim Shima 

“Ato përshëndeteshin, edhe punëtorët i përshëndesnin, edhe bisedonin por nuk kuptoheshin, informacione nuk kërkonin se e dinin që nuk do të merrnin dot gjë, sepse kishte një dëshirë për të biseduar më tepër se duhet nga të dyja anët”, u shpreh gjeologu, Gëzim Shima  

Për të kuptuar nëse ka ende gjurmë të iraniumit, gjeologu Shima bëri disa matje konkrete në terren. Rezultoi se radioaktiviteti ishte 0.19 bekerel, një shifër e ulët, e papërfillshme siç e cilësoi ai. Norma e lejuar është 30 bekerel. Kjo tregon se nuk ka rrezik radioaktiviteti në zonë, por, zbulon gjurmët e uraniumit.

“Vetëm 3 mbijetuan”, pasojat shëndetësore dhe rrëfimi i rrallë me familjen e minatorit të uraniumit

Megjithatë, rastet e mëhershme të problemeve shëndetësore të banorëve të zonës mund të lidhen me rrezatimin. Akumulimi është një formë, sipas së cilës ata që jetojnë aty mund të përthithin rrezatim. Problemet shëndetësore shfaqen pas rreth 20 vitesh. Pikërisht kjo është shpjeguar edhe në Laç, që siç do t’ju tregojmë pak më poshtë, ka sjellë pasoja të rënda, deri në vdekje.

Despite the regime's claims about the miners' safety, the aftermath shows that conditions were not like that. Today, of all those who worked in the galleries of Nimça, only three of them, Safet Dogjani, Osman Dauti and Maksut Ollomani, have survived. All others have died after being diagnosed with various diseases. The average that they managed to live is 55 years. 

We have managed to contact one of the survivors. In Cërnalevo, a village near Nimçe, "Inside Story" knocked on the door of Osman Dauti, now 84 years old, who worked in the uranium mine. The consequences of working in the gallery are obvious, he has lost his hearing for years. Osmani was working on the explosion of mines and because of the noise it is impossible for him to hear. From time to time he loses his logic and fails to tell about the events of the past. He mainly communicates in the Gorani language. Hearing problems make it difficult to talk to him. By his side is his wife, Kadirja, the mother of his 4 children. We learn that three more children were lost after birth.

"There they had a problem, they got sick, no one is alive, only my husband. He had problems, he worked with mines, he never became deaf", said Kadrie Dauti, the miner's wife.

Consequences for descendants, the Nimca miner lost three children from radiation damage

The cause of the loss of the 3 children was never known, although suspicions are related to radiation from uranium. Kadirja narrates family suffering but also information about mining research that was once a secret.

"The work is difficult, there is plenty of material, with work there is benefit, the state with a van worked inside the gallery. They have been working, but the material has not been extracted, as much material has come out, they have stopped the work," said Kadrie Dauti, the miner's wife.