At least 5,200 dead and thousands missing in Libya after Storm Daniel

At least 5,200 people have died in eastern Libya as a result of the flooding caused by Storm Daniel. The authorities in the area have announced this.

A large number of the victims occurred in the city of Derna, which has about 125,000 inhabitants. After two dams broke, water became free in the city. Some neighborhoods have been completely wiped out.

The International Red Cross believes the death toll in the affected region could rise further. According to the organization, about 10,000 people are missing. Rescue operations are also not without danger. Three aid workers died while working in the flooded area, the organization reports.

The Red Cross in the Netherlands has opened giro number 7447 for the victims of the floods. The organization says that urgent medical help is needed. Hygiene products are also important, because contaminated water can lead to disease outbreaks, the organization writes.

These are images from the disaster area:

Information about the number of victims is difficult to verify because Libya has two rival governments. One government is based in the country’s capital, Tripoli, and is recognized by the United Nations. In addition, the government of Prime Minister Osama Hamad is in the northeast of the country.

The damage in Derna is enormous, says an eastern government minister who visited the city. “I am not exaggerating when I say that 25 percent of the city has disappeared. Many buildings have collapsed.”

Derna is not officially ruled by the internationally recognized government, but it does send aid to the affected area. This assistance includes rescue teams, dog brigades, doctors and technical staff.

The city is located in a hilly area with a river that runs through the city. In the summer the river is usually dry, but now a lot of water suddenly flowed through the city.

On the way to Derna, a journalist from the Reuters news agency saw the devastation caused by the floods. Cars are upside down on the side of the road, trees have fallen and there are many abandoned and flooded houses.

Three districts in the east of the country were declared disaster areas yesterday. The city of Benghazi and the suburbs of Al-Marj are also said to have been badly hit. Turkey has announced that it is sending three planes with rescue workers to Libya.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Griffiths says on X that he is concerned about the disaster and announces that emergency response teams are being mobilized to help in the affected areas.

Daniel has now reached Egypt and is traveling along the coast there. The storm is heading for Alexandria, a port city with about 5 million inhabitants. Warnings have also been issued for heavy rainfall here.