Libya floods: 10,000 feared dead after Derna dams collapse

Some 10,000 people are feared dead after a Storm hits Libyaunleashing a devastating wave of floods throughout the east of the country.

A disaster triggered by heavy rain from Mediterranean Storm Daniel intensified when two dams collapsed, with more than 2,000 people dead in a coastal town and thousands more missing, aid agencies and officials said Tuesday.

Entire neighborhoods were razed to the ground in the North African country, which was already recovering from years of conflict. Images showed the region devastated by heavy flooding, with cars, masonry and debris strewn across the streets and entire buildings swept away.

The deluge appeared to have caused its worst damage in Derna, a city where 2,300 people were confirmed dead and another 5,000 missing, according to the Ambulance and Emergency Service.

Othman Abduljaleel, health minister of Libya’s eastern government, described the situation as “catastrophic.”

“In many places the bodies are still lying on the ground. The hospitals are full of corpses. And there are areas we still have to get to,” she said, according to The Associated Press.

That means the number of victims is likely to rise significantly in the coming days, aid groups have warned.

Tamer Ramadan, Libya’s envoy to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said in a video news conference on Tuesday that the final death toll could be much higher.

“We have confirmed from our independent information sources that the number of people missing so far amounts to 10,000,” he said, adding that this is not a definitive figure.

The disaster in Libya was “as devastating as the situation in Morocco,” Ramadan said, referring to the Earthquake that hit on Friday and killed more than 2,800 people.

“The humanitarian needs are enormous and far beyond the capabilities of the Libyan Red Crescent and even the capabilities of the government,” he added.

Dax Bennet Roque, Libya director at the Norwegian Refugee Council, said his team was reporting a “disastrous situation” after flooding hit some of the poorest communities along the coast.

“Many families have lost all their belongings and search and rescue teams are looking for missing people. Tens of thousands of people are displaced with no prospect of returning to their homes,” he said.

“Communities across Libya have endured years of conflict, poverty and displacement. The latest disaster will exacerbate the plight of these people,” he added.

The International Rescue Committee saying was ready to provide assistance.

Libya is divided between two rival administrations, each controlling the east and west of the country.

Both sides have had the support of different militias and foreign governments that have competed for power in the oil-rich nation, after the death of Moammar Gaddafi in 2011, after four decades of his government.

The years of subsequent conflict have left public services and infrastructure in ruins across the country.

On Monday, the Libyan Presidential Council declared the most affected areas, around the cities of Derna, Shahat and Dar Al Bayda, a disaster zone.

The council called on “brotherly and friendly countries and international organizations to provide assistance and support to the affected areas and maritime rescue efforts to recover the victims.”

The US ambassador to Libya, Richard B. Norland, said in a statement that Washington had “issued an official declaration of humanitarian need” in response to the flooding.

“We are coordinating with UN partners and Libyan authorities to evaluate how best to target official US assistance,” he said. Libyan Americans had contacted the embassy to offer financial help, she said.

Libya’s Health Ministry said on Monday it had chartered an African Airline plane and filled it with equipment and medicine to send to affected communities in the east of the country.