Survivors recall darkest hours in Libya's floods-hit Derna
1 year, 3 months ago

Survivors recall darkest hours in Libya's floods-hit Derna

China Daily  

Photo taken on Sept 11, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. A miracle survivor Meed Abdul-Qaser, a 40-year-old resident in Libya's worst-hit Derna, revisited his darkest hours in the nightmare. Abdul-Qaser said that the floods began around 03:00 a.m. local time on Sunday morning, hitting the outer walls of his house forcefully after two dams collapsed and the water swept away everything in its path and swallowed buildings. The deadly floods, triggered by Mediterranean storm Daniel, have claimed the lives of at least 5,500 and injured over 7,000 others, Osama Ali, spokesman of the Emergency Department of Libya's Ministry of Health told Xinhua Wednesday, adding that more than 10,000 people remain missing in the floods, mostly in Derna. My family and I somehow survived in our three-storey house, which was completely submerged in water before we were able to escape," Bushiha told Xinhua in his hospital bed.

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History of this topic

A Libyan city scarred by flooding that killed thousands tries to rebuild a year later
3 months, 2 weeks ago

A Libyan city scarred by flooding that killed thousands tries to rebuild a year later

Associated Press  

DERNA, Libya — A year since two dams burst upstream from the eastern Libyan city of Derna, unleashing a wall of water that swept away thousands of people, its residents no longer hold out hope of finding many of their loved ones. Now, one of Libya’s rival authorities is putting serious resources into rebuilding Derna — the east-based government and …

Libya’s flood survivors demand accountability, hold protest against authorities
1 year, 3 months ago

Libya’s flood survivors demand accountability, hold protest against authorities

The Hindu  

Abdel-Hamid al-Hassadi survived the devastating flooding in eastern Libya, but he lost some 90 people from his extended family. “We witnessed the magnitude of the catastrophe,” Mr. al-Hassadi said in a phone interview, referring to the massive flooding that engulfed his city. The World Health Organization says a total of 3,958 deaths have been registered in hospitals, but a previous …

Libya Floods: What We Know About the Disaster That Killed Over 11,000 People
1 year, 3 months ago

Libya Floods: What We Know About the Disaster That Killed Over 11,000 People

News 18  

At least 11,300 people lost their lives in Libya when two dams above the eastern city of Derna burst early Monday, overwhelmed by the torrential rain brought by a storm. Islamic Relief warned of a “second humanitarian crisis” after the flood, pointing to the “growing risk of water-borne diseases and shortages of food, shelter and medicine”. Warning Signs When hydrologist …

Libya's flood-ravaged Derna in grisly hunt for thousands still missing
1 year, 3 months ago

Libya's flood-ravaged Derna in grisly hunt for thousands still missing

The Hindu  

Emergency teams on Friday kept up their search for the thousands still posted as missing from the tsunami-sized flash flood that swept the Libyan port city of Derna, killing at least 4,000 people. "Within seconds the water level suddenly rose," recounted one injured survivor who said he was swept away with his mother in the late-night ordeal before they both …

‘Desert turned into a sea’: Eastern Libya flood survivors recount horror
1 year, 3 months ago

‘Desert turned into a sea’: Eastern Libya flood survivors recount horror

Al Jazeera  

Survivors of devastating flash floods that struck eastern Libya tell Al Jazeera they remain without food and water, and struggle to find loved ones. Benghazi, Libya – “Have you ever seen a desert become the sea in the blink of an eye?” It is the image that has stayed in 22-year-old Muhammad al-Awkali’s mind from the day Storm Daniel struck …

Searchers look for more than 10,000 missing in flooded Libyan city where death toll has eclipsed 11,000
1 year, 3 months ago

Searchers look for more than 10,000 missing in flooded Libyan city where death toll has eclipsed 11,000

LA Times  

People look for survivors of the flood that devastated Derna, Libya, this week. “There is an enormous need for coordination.” Teams have buried bodies in mass graves outside the city and in nearby towns, Eastern Libya’s health minister, Othman Abduljaleel, said. Bodies “are littering the streets, washing back up on shore and buried under collapsed buildings and debris,” said Bilal …

Libya flood survivors pick through ruins in search of missing thousands; death toll may breach 20,000
1 year, 3 months ago

Libya flood survivors pick through ruins in search of missing thousands; death toll may breach 20,000

The Hindu  

Survivors of a flood that swept away the centre of the Libyan city of Derna picked through the ruins on September 14 in search of loved ones from among thousands of dead and missing, while authorities feared an outbreak of disease from rotting bodies. "We actually need teams specialised in recovering bodies," he told Reuters in Derna. Wali Eddin Mohamed …

Whole families drowned in Libya’s flood. Many didn’t realize the danger until they heard dams burst
1 year, 3 months ago

Whole families drowned in Libya’s flood. Many didn’t realize the danger until they heard dams burst

Associated Press  

DERNA, Libya — The wall of water several stories high smashed into apartment buildings, drowning entire families in minutes. “No one expected this,” said Fadelallah, who asked that his surname not be used because he fears reprisal from government officials and armed groups who could view his story as criticism of their efforts. Footage captured by The Associated Press showed …

Flood death toll in Libya’s city of Derna crosses 5,100
1 year, 3 months ago

Flood death toll in Libya’s city of Derna crosses 5,100

The Hindu  

The death toll from flooding that hit the eastern Libyan city of Derna reached more than 5,000 and was expected to rise further, a local health official said on Wednesday, as authorities struggled to get aid to the coastal city where thousands remained missing and tens of thousands were homeless. Aid workers who managed to reach the city, which was …

Death toll in Libya’s Derna flooding could reach 20,000: Mayor
1 year, 3 months ago

Death toll in Libya’s Derna flooding could reach 20,000: Mayor

Al Jazeera  

Thousands remain missing as rescuers struggle to get to Derna, the city hardest hit by floods unleashed on Sunday by Storm Daniel. Derna Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television the estimated number of deaths in the city could reach between 18,000 to 20,000 based on the number of districts destroyed by the flood. “I fear that the city …

An inside account of devastation and survival in the Libya floods
1 year, 3 months ago

An inside account of devastation and survival in the Libya floods

NPR  

An inside account of devastation and survival in the Libya floods toggle caption Abdullah Mohammed Bonja/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Two dams collapsed and whole neighborhoods were washed away after a storm slammed the city of Derna, Libya and others along the Mediterranean coast this week. Huda Akram: Oh, well, my uncles and my aunts, they're fine, both from my …

Libya flooding: Over 10,000 missing and 2,000 feared dead in Libya after Storm Daniel
1 year, 3 months ago

Libya flooding: Over 10,000 missing and 2,000 feared dead in Libya after Storm Daniel

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy At least 10,000 people are missing and around 3,000 feared dead in Libya after a …

More than 5,300 feared dead and 10,000 missing as Libya is devastated by floods
1 year, 3 months ago

More than 5,300 feared dead and 10,000 missing as Libya is devastated by floods

LA Times  

The city of Derna, in eastern Libya, has buried 700 victims of catastrophic flooding, with 10,000 people reported missing. Emergency workers uncovered more than 1,500 bodies in the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna on Tuesday, and it was feared the toll could spiral with 10,000 people reported still missing after floodwaters smashed through dams and washed away entire …

Libyan city of Derna declared a disaster zone after devastating flooding, dozens feared dead
1 year, 3 months ago

Libyan city of Derna declared a disaster zone after devastating flooding, dozens feared dead

Hindustan Times  

Authorities in eastern Libya declared the city of Derna a disaster zone Monday after the Mediterranean storm Daniel caused devastating floods over the weekend in different parts of the North African nation. The man was stuck in his car and surrounded by floods in the eastern town of Marj, according to Walid al-Arfi, spokesperson for the government-run emergency response agency …

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