Libya floods: 6,000 dead, thousands missing in Derna city

In Libya, at least 6,000 people are presumed dead and more than ten thousand are still missing in the widespread heavy flooding caused by Storm Daniel. Twenty-five percent of Libya’s eastern city of Derna was wiped out after dams burst in a storm.Over 1,500 bodies have already been recovered by the Emergency workers in Derna alone, and officials expected the death toll to rise further. At least 145 Egyptians were also among those killed due to flood as per the officials.Rescuers and aid convoys are struggling to get to Derna, which has only one functional road left leading into it.Derna’s deputy mayor says the way the city was built put most of the population in the water’s direct path.

As a result of the floods in #Libya at least 5.3 thousand people died.
10 thousand people are considered missing. In the city of #Derna which suffered the most from the #floods #StormDaniel #flooding #VMAs #LaCasaDeLaTri #iPhone15 pic.twitter.com/y4dgN2t0Qq

— Breaking News Worldwide (@FelizKarenP1) September 13, 2023

Meanwhile, some aid has started to arrive, including from Egypt. The US, Germany, Iran, Italy, Qatar and Turkey have also said that they have sent or are ready to send aid.However, rescue efforts have been hampered by the political situation in Libya, with the country split between two rival governments.Storm Daniel which struck Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria last week swept in over the Mediterranean on Sunday. The storm is also expected to arrive in parts of west Egypt where the meteorological authorities have warned about possible rain and bad weather.According to Climate scientists, global warming is the major cause behind this. They have warned that more water evaporating during the summer is leading to more intense storms.