The death toll in the Libyan city of Derna (east) due to the floods recorded between Sunday and Monday, following the passage of Storm Daniel, could reach 20,000, according to Mayor Abdulmenam al Gaizi.
Al Gaizi explained that these calculations stem from the massive damage recorded in several neighborhoods of Derna, adding that the disruption of communications is hampering search and rescue operations.
According to the mayor, speaking to the Al Arabiya television network, no maintenance had been carried out since 2008 on the city’s dam, which broke shortly after another dam upstream collapsed due to water pressure, due to the political crisis in the country.
Search and rescue efforts continue in the town and other affected locations in eastern Libya, where around 34,000 people have been displaced by the floods, including 30,000 in Derna, according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Local authorities say there are at least 5,200 dead, although Libyan unity government sources indicate 6,000 dead.
Mediterranean Storm Daniel caused devastating flooding in many towns in eastern Libya on Sunday night, but the destruction was greatest in Derna, where entire neighborhoods disappeared.
The Prime Minister of Libya’s eastern government, Ossama Hamad, said many of the missing were washed away after the two dams collapsed on Monday, releasing a total of 33 million cubic meters of water.
Libya has been divided for more than a decade between two rival governments: one in the east and one in the west, each backed by different militias and foreign governments.
The conflict has left the oil-rich North African country in chaos, with a disintegrated and inadequate infrastructure.
Storm Daniel hit the country after wreaking havoc in Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey last week, killing nearly 30 people.
Source: DN
