A powerful storm and subsequent floods have left a trail of destruction in the eastern Libyan city of Derna, with fears that over 2,000 people may have lost their lives, according to statements from local authorities and witnesses.
Osama Hamad, the prime minister of a self-proclaimed government based in eastern Libya, made the grim announcement. He also indicated that thousands were missing, though the source of these figures was not disclosed.
Kais Fhakeri, the head of the Red Crescent in Benghazi, confirmed that at least 150 people had died in Derna due to the storm named Daniel. The city saw water levels rise as high as three meters (10 feet).
The calamity was further exacerbated as two dams in the city collapsed, as reported by the Derna municipal council. Videos circulated online depict entire residential areas along Wadi Derna, a river running through the city center, reduced to rubble.
Derna’s geographical location, encircled by mountains, made it particularly vulnerable when these dams gave way. Experts estimate that more than 30 million cubic square meters of water inundated the city, causing extensive damage.
Distressing footage on social media displayed people stranded on the roofs of their vehicles as the storm battered cities like Benghazi, Susa, Bayda, al-Marj, and Derna on Sunday and Monday. Ahmed Mohamed, a resident of Derna, recounted, “We were asleep, and when we woke up, we found water besieging the house. We are inside and trying to get out.”
Outside of Derna, the town of Bayda in eastern Libya reported at least 12 fatalities, as confirmed by the main medical center. Additionally, the coastal town of Susa in northeastern Libya reported seven deaths, according to the Ambulance and Emergency Authority. Other towns, Shahatt and Omar al-Mokhtar, also witnessed fatalities due to the storm.
Libyan Red Crescent personnel were among those affected. One worker went missing while attempting to assist a stranded family in Bayda, and dozens of others were reported missing. Local authorities fear that these individuals may have perished in the floods, which caused extensive damage to homes and properties in multiple towns.
The missing individuals include seven members of the Libyan National Army (LNA), a force led by Khalifa Haftar that controls eastern Libya, according to LNA spokesperson Ahmad Mismari.
The floods resulted in the washing away of vehicles and the collapse of a road between Susa and Shahat, where the UNESCO-listed archaeological site Cyrene is located.
In response to the disaster, Libya’s eastern-based parliament declared three days of mourning, while Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the prime minister of the internationally recognized interim government in western Libya, declared three days of mourning in all affected cities, designating them as “disaster areas.”
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Four major oil ports in Libya, including Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Brega, and Es Sidra, were closed for three days in the wake of the storm.
Search and rescue operations were ongoing, with authorities declaring a state of extreme emergency, closing schools and stores, and imposing a curfew.
Despite the limited influence of Dbeibah’s administration in eastern Libya, he directed all state agencies to respond immediately to the damage and flooding in the affected cities.
The United Nations in Libya has expressed its commitment to closely monitor the situation and provide urgent relief assistance to support response efforts at both local and national levels.
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