20,000 Feared Dead in Libya After Horrific Flood
20,000 people are feared to have died in Derna, Libya following 2 burst dams in the city.
Storm Daniel hit Libya on Saturday, with the storm producing over 400mm (16 inches) of rain to areas of the coast of Libya within 24 hours, causing 2 dams in the city to burst during the night. The floodwater has wiped out a quarter of Derna, sweeping streets into the sea and putting entire neighbourhoods underwater.
Over 5,000 bodies have been recovered as of Wednesday 13th September, with at least another 10,000 currently missing. At least 30,000 people have been displaced by the flooding in Derna, with other surrounding towns also being impacted.
Rescue teams have arrived to help recover people from multiple countries including Tunisia, Spain, Qatar and Turkey, with other countries providing financial aid. However, the floodwater has damaged and destroyed many of the access roads to the city, delaying the arrival of the rescue teams and humanitarian assistance. The teams are reported to be searching the wreckage, with bodies being pulled from the sea by divers.
The Libyan Ambulance and Emergency Service are in a “race against time” to bury the dead to prevent disease, with most of the dead being buried in mass graves outside of Derna. 3,000 bodies by this morning, but another 2,000 are still being processed, a number that is likely to increase as the rescue workers continue to access more areas of the city. The UN has voiced concerns that those displaced by the floods are now at risk of illness from waterborne diseases as a result of wells being contaminated by the floodwater, and that this could result in another wave of deaths if it is not managed.
For live news about the flooding, please go to: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-66805748
