‘Situation was distressing’- Ongoing rescue efforts in devastated Libyan city of Derna after deadly floods

« Rescue operations are still ongoing in the Libyan city of Derna more than a week after it was hit by devastating floods as seen in footage on Tuesday.
Footage shows the rescue teams using sniffer dogs to search for survivors among the wreckage in the affected areas. Additionally, some team members are shown clearing debris and coordinating their efforts to conduct further investigations in the area.
“We made every effort, but unfortunately, all that we pulled out were bodies. Our work comprises unleashing the sniffer dogs to locate the bodies, after that, we communicate with the rescue, ambulance, and emergency groups to recover the bodies,” a rescuer explained
“After being located, 72 sites were accessed, and 64 bodies have been recovered so far. The situation was distressing,” he added.
A rescue team reported on Sunday that they successfully saved a family of five from a valley close to the city. Even though more than a week has passed since the disaster, there are still instances of people being discovered alive. However, the city remains filled with ruined and muddy buildings, and sadly, there are also many casualties.
Storm Daniel struck cities along Libya’s eastern coast, such as Derna, Benghazi, and Bayda, on September 10. In Derna, the situation turned critical when two dams collapsed, unleashing a staggering 30 million cubic meters of water. This resulted in the inundation of approximately a quarter of the city, as reported by local authorities.
The regions hardest hit by the flooding are under the control of the Libyan National Army and the eastern parliament. Meanwhile, the west of the country is governed by the UN-backed Government of National Unity in Tripoli.
The Libyan Red Crescent has reported that the death toll in Derna has reached 11,300 people, and Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi has estimated that it could potentially climb to 20,000. »



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