At least 10,000 missing in Libya floods, rescuers warn

Death toll passes 5,300 in the eastern city of Derna

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  Before and after pictures after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit the country, in Derna. Reuters/ Planet Labs

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  A damaged car in Derna, Libya, after a powerful storm and heavy rain hit the country. Reuters

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  Members of Libyan Red Crescent Ajdabiya push a vehicle through the mud in an area affected by flooding. Reuters

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  Workers at Marka military airport in Amman, Jordan, load a military plane with humanitarian aid for Libya. AFP

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  Storm damage in Derna, Libya. Reuters

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  A man surveys the damage in Derna after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya. Reuters

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  TOPSHOT - An area damaged by flash floods is pictured in Derna, eastern Libya, on September 11, 2023. Flash floods in eastern Libya killed more than 2,300 people in the Mediterranean coastal city of Derna alone, the emergency services of the Tripoli-based government said on September 12. (Photo by AFP)

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  A car crushed against the side of a building in the aftermath of flash-floods in Derna. AFP

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  Libyans survey the devastation from floods caused by Storm Daniel in Derna. AFP

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  Floodwaters washed away entire neighbourhoods in Derna, leaving thousands of people dead or missing, authorities said. AFP

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  People survey the flood damage in Derna, which was most affected. AFP

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  Members of the Libyan Red Crescent rescuing people from floods at an unidentified location in eastern Libya. AFP

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  Members of Libya's Youth Hostels Association unload medical aid from a plane at Al Abraq Airport, for the victims of the floods. Reuters

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  Roads engulfed by floodwater in eastern Libya after Storm Daniel left its mark. AFP

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  Thousands remain unaccounted for in eastern Libya amid widespread and heavy flooding. AFP

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  The collapse of nearby dams sent a wall of water that 'erased everything in its way', said a survivor in Derna. AFP

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  Members of the Libyan Red Crescent working on opening roads engulfed by floods in eastern Libya. AFP

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  Damage in Benghazi in the wake of Storm Daniel. AFP

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  Devastating floods swept away entire neighbourhoods in several coastal towns. AFP

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  A damaged van in Shahat city. Reuters

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  Flooded streets in Marj. AP

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  A seaside road collapsed after heavy flooding caused by Storm Daniel in Derna. AP

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  Flooding in the aftermath of Storm Daniel in Marj. Many of the thousands missing are believed to have been carried away by the waters. AP

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  Cars piled on the sea bank in Derna, after being carried away by floodwater. AP

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  Cars stacked on top each other, after being washed away by floodwaters in Derna. AP

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  A car propped up against a shopfront in Derna. AP

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  The damage in Derna is widespread. AP

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  Flooding caused by Storm Daniel in Al Mukhaili, Libya. Reuters

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  Storm Daniel broke dams and swept away entire neighbourhoods in the east of the country. Reuters

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  Streets flooded as a result of Storm Daniel in Benghazi. AFP

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  People stranded after Storm Daniel caused heavy rainfall in Shahat. Reuters

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  A road in Shahat badly damaged by the storm. Reuters

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  A residential street flooded in Marj. AP

Emergency workers found more than 1,500 bodies in the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna on Tuesday, and it was feared the toll could spiral, with 10,000 people still reported missing after floodwaters smashed through dams and washed away entire neighbourhoods.

The death toll in Derna alone has exceeded 5,300, the state-run news agency quoted Mohammed Abu-Lamousha, a spokesman for the east Libya interior ministry, as saying on Tuesday.

Derna’s ambulance authority earlier put the toll at 2,300.

Storm Daniel caused havoc and flash floods in many towns in eastern Libya, with the worst damage in the city of Derna, where dams were destroyed and floodwaters washed away entire neighbourhoods, authorities said.

Speaking from Tunisia, Tamer Ramadan, Libya chief for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told a UN briefing on Tuesday that the death toll was “huge” and he expected it to rise sharply in the coming days.

He said the IFRC could launch an appeal for emergency funding to support flood victims in the country. Three Red Crescent volunteers died while helping flood victims, the IFRC confirmed.

The death toll is huge and might reach thousands

Tamer Ramadan,
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

About 7,000 were injured by the force of floodwaters that rushed down a normally dry river valley, said Osama Ali, a spokesman for the Tripoli-based emergency services, which has had a team in the city since Monday.

“The challenges are ranging between access to basic health facilities for health services, shelter and shelter management, food and non-food items,” Mr Ramadan said.

Osama Hamad, who leads the government in eastern Libya, said many of those missing were believed to have been carried away in floodwaters after two dams burst.

After more than a decade of chaos, Libya remains divided between two rival governments, one in the east and one in the west. The conflict has left the country with crumbling and inadequate infrastructure.

More bodies are under rubble in the city or have been washed away to the sea, said Othman Abduljaleel, Health Minister in the eastern government.

Derna residents posted videos online showing the destruction caused by the floods. Residential blocks were washed away along Wadi Derna, a river that runs from the mountains and down through the city centre.

Mr Abduljaleel said routes into the city were blocked and there were bodies scattered across the area, Libya’s state-run news agency reported.

“The situation was more significant and worse than we expected. An international intervention is needed,” he was quoted as saying.

Emergency teams, including soldiers, government staff, volunteers and residents, have been digging through the rubble to recover the dead.

Inflatable boats have also been used to retrieve bodies from the water. Excavators and other equipment have not yet arrived in Derna.

Residents have described scenes of chaos as floods hit the city.

The collapse of nearby dams sent a wall of water that “erased everything in its way”, said Ahmed Abdalla.

More than 200 bodies were buried in one cemetery on Monday, rescue workers said. Footage has been released that shows dozens of bodies covered by blankets or sheets outside a hospital in Derna.

The storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the town of Al Bayda, where about 50 people are reported dead. The main hospital was flooded and patients were evacuated, according to footage shared by the hospital on Facebook.

The towns of Susa, Al Marj and Shahat were also hit, the government said. Hundreds of families were displaced and took shelter in schools and government buildings in the cities including Benghazi.

North-east Libya is one of the country’s most fertile and green regions. The Jabal Al Akhdar area – which includes Al Bayda, Al Marj and Shahat – is among the region's of the country with the highest average annual rainfall, the World Bank said.

Authorities in eastern and western Libya have launched efforts to help Derna residents.

The Health Ministry in Tripoli said a plane carrying 14 tonnes of medical equipment, medicine and body bags, along with healthcare workers, was sent to Benghazi on Tuesday. Other agencies have also pledged aid to Derna.

Foreign governments have sent messages of support to Libya, as well as pledging aid.

One of Libya's rival prime ministers, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, in a press conference on Tuesday said his country was assessing international aid offers to see what is necessary and to ensure co-ordination in rescue efforts

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden said Washington would be sending aid, as he sent his and first lady Jill Biden's condolences to the country.

“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones in the devastating floods in Libya,” he said.

“In this difficult hour, the United States is sending emergency funds to relief organisations and co-ordinating with the Libyan authorities and the UN to provide additional support.”