On Tuesday, September 12, the Libyan city of Derna was slammed with a flood of biblical proportions that left destruction and devastation in its wake.
During the morning hours, the death toll had hit 1,000 and is expected to continue rising significantly as time passes.
This tragedy is made even more concerning due to the country’s poor infrastructure due to years of conflict.
Derna, Libya Flood Disaster ????????
– 2,000+ people believed dead
– Hundreds of people are still missing
– Entire blocks of homes washed away
– Many bridges & roads destroyed
– City declared a "disaster zone"
– At least two confirmed dam failures
– Urgent int. response needed pic.twitter.com/fD2UgTpFPq— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) September 11, 2023
Heavy rainfall from Storm Daniel caused dams to burst, unleashing torrents of water on the city of Derna.
Civil Aviation Minister Hichem Abu Chkiouat reported seeing bodies “everywhere – in the sea, in the valleys, under buildings” upon his return from Derna.
He also mentioned that around 25% of the city had disappeared during this devastating event.
As more details become available about what happened, it’s becoming clear that this flooding tragedy could have been prevented if not for Libya’s decade-long conflict causing their infrastructure to remain weak and vulnerable.
The moment of flood hits Derna in Libya.
– 1850+ people confirm dead.
– 5000+ people are still #missing
– Many bridges & roads destroyed
– Derna declared a "#disaster zone"
– At least two confirmed dam failures #StormDaniel #Libya #Daniel #Derna #jabalalakhdar #Hurricane #lee… pic.twitter.com/8Tx0OBiQ6k— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) September 12, 2023
In response to this horrific situation facing Libya, U.S officials have agreed to send aid as well as other countries across the world who are eager to help those suffering from these unforeseen circumstances.
While immediate relief is being provided by international allies, it will take some time before any sort of normalcy can be restored for Libyans affected by this tragic event.
This is a developing story with new details continuing to come in.
