The village of Gryksh i Madh in Peqin is in mourning after the grave tragedy that struck a family from this community, who lost their lives in Italy. The bitter news has shocked the residents, while the pain is felt in every house and in every alley of the village.
Neighbors tearfully recount that the family had been emigrating to Italy for about three years. They had previously been to Greece for seasonal work, always in search of a better life. “These are the scars of emigration. We sent our children away with our own hands and now they are returning to us in coffins,” they say, emphasizing the countless sacrifices and the difficult journey far from their homeland.
According to them, the memories are still fresh. They had met for New Year's Eve, sharing greetings, smiles, and hopes for the future. Today, those memories have turned into open wounds.
The grave tragedy has shocked both Italy and Albania. In the Lucca area, four members of an Albanian family — Arti Kola, Jonida Kola, Hajdar Kola and Jessica Kola — lost their lives as a result of a gas leak from a boiler. They were found lifeless when the carabinieri forcibly entered the apartment.
The event has also deeply affected local Italian authorities. The mayor of Porcari, Leonardo Fornaciari, publicly expressed the pain and solidarity of the community: “We are all shocked and saddened by this tragic event. Our community joins relatives and friends in a symbolic embrace for this grave loss. May they rest in peace, all together.”
He also recalled a similar disaster that occurred 34 years ago, in the same municipality, when the Italian Malanca family lost four of its members to carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty boiler. Today, a public park in the area bears their name — a permanent reminder of the pain and the need for safety.
From the Great Gorge in Peqin to Porcari in Italy, the pain is shared. A tragedy that unites two communities, two countries and leaves behind a bitter message about the sacrifices of immigration and the innocent lives lost too soon.
