Tunis, Sept 12 (The Street Press) – Over 1,000 bodies were found in the eastern Libyan city of Derna after severe floods. A minister from the eastern administration revealed this on Tuesday, and they expect the final number to be much higher.
“I returned from Derna. It is very disastrous. Bodies are lying everywhere – in the sea, in the valleys, under the buildings,” explained Hichem Chkiouat, who serves as the minister of civil aviation and is a member of the emergency committee. He shared this information with Reuters over the phone.
He stated, “The number of bodies recovered in Derna is more 1,000,” and he anticipates that the final count will be “”really, really big” He emphasized, “I am not exaggerating when I say that 25% of the city has disappeared. Many, many buildings have collapsed.”
Authorities in the eastern part of the divided country reported on Monday that the floods had claimed the lives of at least 2,000 people. However, it remains unclear on what basis this estimate was calculated.
Officials also reported that thousands of people were missing as a result of the flood, which they attributed to the bursting of dams above the city, leading to the destruction of entire neighborhood.
Libya has been politically divided between the eastern and western regions, and public services have deteriorated since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising, resulting in years of conflict and instability.
It’s important to note that the internationally recognized government in Tripoli does not have control over eastern areas of the country.
Following its impact on Greece last week, Storm Daniel moved into the Mediterranean on Sunday, causing widespread damage in Derna, including flooding roads and destroying buildings. It also affected other coastal settlements, including Libya’s second-largest city, Benghazi.
