2023-09-13 06:28:00
Derno: More than 10,000 people are missing in Libya after the dams collapsed in the flood.
So far, 700 dead bodies have been found and buried, according to the health minister of eastern Libya.
Ambulance authorities in Derna say that 2,300 people have died so far. But Tamar Ramadan, representative of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society in Libya, said the death toll could be much higher.
At least 10,000 people are missing, he told a U.N. meeting in Geneva via video conference. Ramadan also said that the tragedy in Libya is similar to the earthquake in Morocco.
Areas of eastern Libya, including Derna, were devastated after Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall on Sunday night. Local residents said they realized the dams had broken when they heard a loud explosion. Subsequently, the city of Derna was flooded by a flood from the Wadi Derna River, which flows through the city.
Social media is filled with video footage of the buildings on both sides of the river being completely destroyed and filled with soil and debris. The facades of high-rise buildings, located far from the river, were blown away and the concrete floor completely collapsed.
Authorities in eastern Libya were unable to reach the scene, leaving the city’s 90,000 residents stranded. The government of the eastern region arrived in the city on Tuesday.
Footage of dead bodies wrapped in blankets in Derna hospital premises is circulating. Many bodies are believed to have been trapped in the debris or washed into the Mediterranean Sea, according to reports.
The collapse of two dams in Wadi Derna has highlighted a gap in infrastructure in Libya, which has been in conflict for more than a decade. Libya, an oil-producing country, is divided into rival regimes in the east and west. Both are supported by different forces and foreign countries.
Content Highlight: 10,000 people reported missing and thousands feared dead as eastern Libya is devastated by floods
1694587821
#Dams #collapsed #floods #missing #Libya