Libyan officials say death toll now at 6,000 in country’s east following devastating floods

At least 6,000 people are estimated killed in the Libyan city of Derna alone due to flooding that devastated the country’s east, according to Libyan emergency response bodies, which expect the number of dead to rise fast over the coming days as bodies are recovered. 

Over 10,000 people are reported missing, while the fragmented authorities that govern the divided country are yet to establish the number of victims and degree of material damage wrought by the storm. 

High winds and rainfall hit the east of the country on Sunday evening with the arrival of Storm Daniel from the Mediterranean, with rainfall recording its highest level in 40 years according to the Libyan National Meteorological Centre. 

Two dams in the valley above the coastal city of Derna collapsed Monday, unleashing torrential flooding that tore through the metropolis, submerging and crushing homes and sweeping hundreds of people and buildings into the sea, according to local sources describing the destruction.

The cities of Bayda, Sousse, Marg, Abyar as well as a handful of villages were also submerged by flooding in the lowland regions of Benghazi and Jabal Akhdar, where exposure to the storm was high and neglected infrastructure left the cities vulnerable to the extreme weather. 

All health facilities in Derna and Al-Bayda were shut down, electricity and telecommunications were cut off, and almost all the roads leading to the towns were destroyed by floods, rendering the delivery of aid and supplies all but impossible until Tuesday.

Declaring a disaster zone in the Cyrenaica region, where Derna and Bayda are located, the Libyan Presidential Council issued a statement Monday evening calling on neighboring countries, allies and international organizations to support the areas affected by devastating flooding, massive destruction to human life and property, to infrastructure and public facilities. The council requested support with marine search and rescue operations to recover the bodies of victims, rescue survivors and provide much-needed supplies. 

Though governance is divided, with the Libyan National Army and the Tobruk-based House of Representatives holding sway in Libya’s east far from the seat of the UN-appointed government in the western capital, the local council of Bayda called on all authorities to set aside political allegiances and immediately launch operations to rescue survivors and offer assistance to those stuck in flooded areas. 

Official bodies were instructed to be on high alert prior to the storm, following a directive issued by the eastern government on the initiative of the parliament headed by Osama Hamad. However, the magnitude of the disaster far exceeded expectations.

The United Nations has announced that it will form an emergency response team, while the US and several European countries have promised support and assistance to the Libyan authorities.

Aid has arrived from Qatar, Italy, Turkey and Egypt thus far, with Cairo stating that it will set up shelter for civilians displaced by the flooding. 

A number of Egyptian nationals are reported to be among those killed, though the exact figure is not yet clear. The bodies of 87 Egyptians have been repatriated so far, the Emigration Ministry announced, while the city council for Libya’s Tobruk said that 145 Egyptians recorded as dead so far. A Libyan minister speaking to the press said that it's hard to be certain of the precise number at present.