Libya floods: death toll in Derna surges past 11,300, with 891 buildings destroyed
- Amid conflicting reports on the number of dead, the UN said the toll in the coastal city alone had risen to over 11,300, with thousands more missing
- Many people are asking why the disaster was not prevented, as cracks in the two dams that collapsed were known about for 25 years
The death toll from devastating floods in eastern Libya surged past 11,300 people in the port city of Derna alone, the UN said, overshadowing hopes of finding thousands of others missing after a rare hurricane-like storm slammed into the North African nation a week ago.
As rescuers including Libyan fighters and foreign teams combed through the rubble, concerns mounted about the potential health impact, including from cholera, from the contaminated waters.
Authorities ordered an investigation into what caused the collapse of two dams that overwhelmed Derna under the pressure of torrential rains from the hurricane-strength Storm Daniel.
The dams had been built to protect the city of 100,000 people after it was hit by significant flooding in the mid-20th century.
Floods completely destroyed at least 891 buildings in Derna, the country’s official news agency reported on Sunday, citing figures from a team assigned by the Libyan National Unity Government.
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Libya floods: International aid starts pouring as rescuers race against time to find survivors
Floods completely destroyed at least 891 buildings in Derna, the country’s official news agency reported on Sunday, citing figures from a team assigned by the Libyan National Unity Government.
