Tamer Ramadan, head of the authority, said, “The death toll is large and may reach thousands.” International Federation delegation in LibyaHe told reporters in Geneva via video link from Tunisia.
Officials in the administration that runs the eastern part of the divided country said on Monday that at least 2,000 people had been killed by the bombing. FloodsBut it was not immediately clear on what basis this estimate was based.
In Derna alone, more than 1,000 bodies have been recovered so far, according to a minister in the country’s eastern administration.
Hisham Shekiwat, Minister of Civil Aviation and member of the Emergency Committee, told Reuters by phone, “I returned from Derna. It is very disastrous. Bodies are lying everywhere – in the sea, in valleys, and under buildings.”
He added: “I am not exaggerating when I say that 25% of the city has disappeared. Many buildings have collapsed.”
On his way to Derna, a Reuters journalist saw overturned cars on the sides of the roads, fallen and abandoned trees, and houses submerged in water. Aid and aid convoys are heading towards the city.
A video posted on Facebook, whose authenticity Reuters has not been able to independently verify, shows dozens of bodies covered in blankets on the sidewalks in Derna.
Libya is politically divided between east and west, and public services have collapsed since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that led to years of conflict.
after Greece strikes Last week, Storm Daniel swept into the Mediterranean on Sunday, flooding roads and destroying buildings in Derna, and hitting other residential areas along the coast, including Libya’s second-largest city, Benghazi.
The internationally recognized government in Tripoli does not control the eastern regions, but it was sent Helps A Reuters journalist who was on board the plane said that the International Organization for Migration was heading to Derna and that at least one relief flight left the western city of Misrata on Tuesday.
The head of the Libyan National Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba, said on the X website, formerly known as Twitter, that the emergency medical supply plane was carrying 14 tons of supplies, medicines, equipment, body bags and 87 medical and paramedical personnel, heading to Benghazi.
German Chancellor: “The news about the massive floods in Libya is horrifying. Many deaths and injuries are expected, especially in the east.” Olaf Schulz It was posted on X saying the country was ready to help.
Egypt, Qatar, Iran and Italy were among the countries that said they were ready to send aid. The United States also said it is coordinating with UN partners and Libyan authorities on how to assist in relief efforts.
Former acting UN envoy to Libya, Stephanie Williams, urged rapid foreign aid, saying the disaster “requires an urgent increase in international and regional aid” in a post on the X website.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
“Infuriatingly humble analyst. Bacon maven. Proud food specialist. Certified reader. Avid writer. Zombie advocate. Incurable problem solver.”