Libya floods: Search for survivors with 10,000 feared dead after river ‘tsunami’ caused by dam collapse – latest

September 13, 2023 World 1 Views

Libya: Turkey sends third aid plane after deadly floods hit North African nation

Emergency workers have recovered more than 1,500 bodies from the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna after the worst climate disaster of 2023 so far.

Torrential rains brought by Storm Daniel appear to have overwhelmed multiple dams and sent a river “tsunami” through the city, washing away entire neighbourhoods and sweeping people out to sea.

Officials say more than 10,000 people remain missing and it is feared the toll could surpass 5,000.

Videos on social media showed dozens of bodies covered by blankets in the yard of one hospital while roads and houses remained submerged in Derna, which has been completely cut off from surrounding region.

Outside help was only just starting to reach Derna on Tuesday, more than 36 hours after the disaster struck. The floods damaged or destroyed many access roads to the coastal city of some 89,000 people.

The state-run news agency quoted Mohammed Abu-Lamousha, a spokesman for the east Libya interior ministry, as saying that more than 5,300 people had died in Derna alone but figures remain disputes as the city was formerly held by Islamist rebels.

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1,500 bodies recovered from Derna

Emergency workers have recovered more than 1,500 bodies from the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna after the worst climate disaster of 2023 so far.

Officials say more than 10,000 people remain missing and it is feared the toll could surpass 5,000.

Torrential rains brought by Storm Daniel appear to have overwhelmed multiple dams and sent a river “tsunami” through the city, washing away entire neighbourhoods and sweeping people out to sea.

At least one official put the death toll at more than 5,000 but it remains conflicted as authorities struggle to assess the full extent of loss in the conflict-stricken country.

The state-run news agency quoted Mohammed Abu-Lamousha, a spokesman for the east Libya interior ministry, as saying that more than 5,300 people had died in Derna alone. Derna’s ambulance authority said earlier on Tuesday that 2,300 had died.

But the toll is likely to be higher, said Tamer Ramadan, Libya envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Stuti Mishra13 September 2023 07:43

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