Libya: Authorities in eastern Libya said that a major flood that tore through the city of Derna following a strong storm and rain claimed at least 2,000 lives and left many more missing. In a televised news conference, Ahmed Mismari, a spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA), which governs eastern Libya, stated that the catastrophe occurred when dams above Derna had failed, “sweeping whole neighbourhoods with their residents into the sea.” Mismari estimated there to be 5,000–6,000 people missing.
Red Crescent Reports 150 Lives Lost in Derna
The region’s Red Crescent aid chief had earlier on Monday stated that Derna had already claimed 150 lives and was on track to reach 250. Reuters was unable to immediately confirm either number. Since a 2011 NATO-backed revolt that sparked years of conflict, Libya is politically divided between the east and west, and public services have collapsed. Eastern regions are not under the administration of Tripoli’s internationally acknowledged government. The three-person Presidential Council, which governs the split nation as its head of state, appealed for assistance to the world community in Tripoli. “We call on brotherly and friendly countries and international organisations to provide assistance,” it said.
Thousands Missing and Over 2000 Dead in Eastern Libya
According to Osama Hamad, the leader of a parallel administration with roots in the East, thousands more people are still missing and over 2,000 have died. Following last week’s brutal assault on Greece, Storm Daniel stormed in over the Mediterranean on Sunday, flooding roads and demolishing buildings in Derna as well as other coastal communities, including Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city. Videos of Derna showed a broad torrent cutting through the heart of the city, replacing a much narrower river that had once flowed there. Buildings in ruins were present on both sides. Almostkbal TV in eastern Libya aired footage of cars being washed away by floodwaters and individuals trapped on the roofs of their vehicles asking for rescue.
Over 2000 Dead as Derna Residents Share Harrowing Experiences Amidst Catastrophic Flood
“The missing are in the thousands, and the dead exceed 2,000,” Osama Hamad told al-Masar TV. “Entire neighbourhoods in Derna have disappeared, along with their residents … swept away by water.” Mismari reported that seven LNA members had perished in the flood. Saleh al-Obaidi, a resident of Derna, claimed he had been able to escape with his family despite the fact that buildings in a valley close to the city had collapsed. “People were asleep and woke up and found their homes surrounded by water,” he told Reuters. Ahmed Mohamed, another resident, said: “We were asleep, and when we woke up, we found water besieging the house. We are inside and trying to get out.”
10-Foot Floodwaters, Collapsed Roads
According to witnesses, the water level had risen to three metres (10 feet). Images between the seaside city of Sousse and Shahat, the location of the Greek-founded and UNESCO-listed archaeological monument Cyrene, to the west of Derna, revealed a collapsed road. Three days have been set aside for mourning by Libya’s eastern-based parliament. The interim government’s prime minister, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, called all the affected cities “disaster areas” and proclaimed three days of mourning in them as well. According to two oil engineers who spoke to Reuters, Libya’s four main oil ports—Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Brega, and Es Sidra—were shut down starting on Saturday evening for three days.
Libya’s East Grapples with Flood Fallout as UN and Qatar Step In
Search and rescue efforts were still going on, according to witnesses. Authorities imposed a curfew, closed businesses like stores and schools, and proclaimed a state of extraordinary emergency. Although it has no influence in the east, the Tripoli interim government ordered all state agencies to “immediately deal” with the flooding and devastation in eastern cities. However, the Central Bank of Libya, which distributes money to government agencies all over the nation, collaborates closely with Dbeibah’s administration. According to a statement from the UN office in Libya, the organisation was carefully monitoring the storm and would “provide urgent relief assistance in support of response efforts at local and national levels.” According to Qatar’s state news agency, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani gave the government instructions to provide relief to the afflicted area in eastern Libya.
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