Libya floods: journalists ordered out of Derna after protests
- Reporters were asked to leave hours after demonstrators torched the ousted mayor’s home over the authorities’ failure to protect the city
- Number of journalists impedes rescue teams, a minister said, while new research said deluge very rare but worsened by poor maintenance
Journalists were ordered out of the devastated eastern Libyan city of Derna on Tuesday, the morning after demonstrators staged a rally and torched the home of the ousted mayor in fury over the authorities’ failure to protect the city from floods.
Arab broadcaster Al Hurra reported that the authorities had asked all journalists to depart as soon as possible. An Al Jazeera correspondent reporting from the city said he had been told to leave.
Hichem Abu Chkiouat, minister of civil aviation in the administration that runs eastern Libya, told Reuters by phone that the decision to move journalists was unrelated to the protests there overnight.
“It is an attempt to create better conditions for the rescue teams to carry out the work more smoothly and effectively,” he said. “The large number of journalists has become an impediment to the work of rescue teams.”
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Protests erupt in Libya a week after devastating floods kill thousands in port city of Derna
He later said that reporters were not being told to leave Derna altogether, only to leave areas where their presence might hinder rescue operations.
