Death toll exceeds 11,000, bodies swept away by floodwaters everywhere

Due to the political division in Libya, the parties have not yet been able to agree on official casualty figures. However, Derna officials estimate the death toll could be much higher than announced, AP reported.

Storm Daniel hit the Libyan coast on September 10. Residents of Derna reported hearing a loud explosion as two dams outside the city collapsed. Floodwaters rushed down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, through buildings and swept people and homes out to sea.

An area damaged by the storm in Derna

Marie el-Drese, head of the Libyan Red Crescent, added that 10,100 people were reported missing in the disaster.

While the internationally recognized government in the capital Tripoli has allocated the equivalent of $412 million to rebuild Derna and other eastern towns, the eastern opposition is coordinating relief efforts.

Derna has begun burying the dead, mostly in mass graves, said Othman Abduljaleel, head of the eastern health authority. Derna is under Libyan opposition rule.

Many buildings in Derna were swept away by floodwaters into the sea.

More than 3,000 bodies had been buried by Monday morning, with another 2,000 still being processed, Abduljaleel said. Most of the dead were buried in mass graves outside Derna, while others were moved to nearby towns and cities, he said. Rescue teams were still checking buildings in the city center, while divers were scouring the waters off Derna for bodies.

After receiving a call for assistance from Derna, the International Committee of the Red Cross provided 6,000 body bags, as well as medicine, food and other aid for the authorities to distribute to residents and rescue teams.

Rescue teams are still having difficulty getting heavy equipment to the affected areas as heavy rains and floods have blocked roads in the area.

Reuters quoted the head of the World Meteorological Organization, Petteri Taalas, as saying on September 14 that most of the casualties were avoidable. "If the meteorological service had been functioning normally, they could have issued warnings. Emergency services could have carried out evacuations," Taalas said.

In response to the statement, the Libyan government has launched an investigation to see if any human factors contributed to the worst natural disaster in the country's modern history.

Mohamed al-Menfi, head of the Libyan Presidential Council, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the council had asked the attorney general to investigate the disaster. According to him, those involved in the dam collapse must be held responsible.

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