Authorities in eastern Libya said at least 2,000 people were killed and thousands more were missing after a massive flood ripped through the city of Derna following a heavy storm and rain.
The storm struck the country on Sunday afternoon (Sep. 10), hitting coastal towns such as Benghazi where a curfew was enforced, and schools closed.
The city of Derna which was the worst hit was declared a disaster zone. It has become inaccessible and local media reported that the situation was catastrophic with no electricity or communications.
The provisional death toll was announced on Monday afternoon by the health minister of the east Libya government as he spoke to Saudi-owned satellite news channel Al-Arabiya.
The Libyan Red Crescent said it lost contact with one of its workers as he attempted to help a stuck family in Bayda. Dozens of others were reported missing and authorities fear they could have died in the floods that destroyed homes and other properties in several towns in eastern Libya, according to local media.
Libya has been divided for most of the past decade between rival administrations in the east and west. Each is backed by armed groups and militias. The UN-backed government is in western Tripoli.
Libya’s east is home to most of the country’s oil fields and terminals. The state-owned National Oil Corporation has declared a state of maximum alert and advised its affiliated oil companies to stop flights between areas where activity was drastically reduced.
The prime minister d’Abdelhamid Dbeibah, in the country’s west, announced Monday (Sep. 11) a three-day of mourning and ordered flags across the country to be lowered to half-mast.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Monday expressed its willingness to support the Libyan authorities in battling floods that have hit eastern Libya.
“The United Nations in Libya is closely following the emergency caused by severe weather conditions in the eastern region of the country. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and our thoughts for all people affected,” UNSMIL said in a statement.
Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General/Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator Georgette Gagnon has ‘tasked an emergency response team to prepare to support local authorities and partners in the region’.
Storm Danial is expected to arrive in parts of west Egypt on Monday, and the country’s meteorological authorities warned about possible rain and bad weather.
Libya, a country with over 6 million people, suffers from debilitating infrastructure after more than a decade of conflict.
