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.
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.
Libya videos shows extensive damage following Storm Daniel
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.”
