Thousands have died and many more are reported to be missing after heavy rains caused by the storm Daniel in the Mediterranean Sea resulted in large-scale flooding in several towns along the eastern coast of Libya on Monday, September 11. The city of Derna was the worst affected. Latest reports say at least 5,000 people are presumed dead and at least 10,000 people are missing.
According to the reports, Derna was completely cut off from the rest of the country for several hours due to the bursting of two nearby dams. The floodwater washed away buildings and vehicles in the city and caused large-scale death and destruction. The mayor of the Derna said that at least 20% of the city was destroyed.
Several other coastal towns, such as Bayda, al-Marj, Tobruk, and Taknis, were also affected by the flooding. A large number of people have been displaced. At several places, roads were washed away, leaving many people trapped and cut off from the rest of the country.
Both the governments in Libya — the one led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah in Tripoli and the other under Osama Hammad in Benghazi — issued separate orders declaring Derna a disaster region.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the flood affected-regions and several bodies were announced to coordinate the relief work.
Both the Libyan governments, as well as the UN mission in Libya, have called for international support to deal with the situation. Hammad said that his country was in no condition to carry out all the relief and reconstruction work required, AP reported.
Various countries in the region including Egypt, Turkey, UAE, and Algeria have announced that they are dispatching relief material and doctors.
