Death Toll From Floods in Libya's Derna Likely to Reach 18,000 or 20,000: Governor

© AP Photo / Libyan governmentA car demolished by flood waters in Derna, Libya
A car demolished by flood waters in Derna, Libya - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 14.09.2023
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CAIRO (Sputnik) - On Sunday, heavy rains brought by Storm Daniel caused flooding and inundation in numerous cities and towns in eastern Libya, including Al-Bayda and Derna.
The death toll from flooding in the city of Derna in eastern Libya may reach 18,000 or 20,000, mayor Abdulmenam Al-Ghaithi said on Wednesday.
Torrential rains hit Libya on September 10, and according to the latest official data, the number of flooding casualties in Derna alone surpassed 7,000.

"We expect a very large number of deaths, it may reach 18,000 or 20,000," the mayor said on air of the UAE broadcaster.

Hisham Chkiouat, minister of civil aviation in the country's eastern administration, told Sputnik that hospitals in eastern Libya cannot receive all victims of deadly floods, and some patients will be transferred to hospitals in the country's center.
"All hospitals in the eastern region are admitting the injured, their number is growing rapidly. I do not think hospitals in the east can admit such a number [of patients], however, efforts to transfer many of them to hospitals in the central region and in Sirte is underway," Chkiouat said.
The minister added that the rescue teams from Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia and France have arrived in the country.
Libye - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 13.09.2023
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Earlier, the representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross told Sputnik that more than 9,000 people are missing in the city of Derna. International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that at least 30,000 people had to leave their homes in Derna.
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