At least 2 000 people have died after a dam burst in a massive flood in the eastern Libyan city of Derna. Another six thousand people are considered missing.
This was reported by "Reuters" with reference to local authorities.
A spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA) Ahmed Mismari, which controls the eastern part of the country, said the disaster occurred after a dam over the Derna collapsed, "washing entire neighborhoods with their residents into the sea."
Mismari estimated the number of missing between 5 000 and 6 000.
The head of the parallel eastern administration Osama Hamad reported the death of two thousand people.
"The number of missing is in the thousands, and the death toll is expected to reach ten thousand," noted the health minister of Libyaʼs eastern government Osman Abdel Jalil.
- On Sunday, September 10, Storm Daniel swept over the Mediterranean Sea, flooding roads and destroying buildings in Derna, as well as hitting other towns along the coast, including Benghazi, the countryʼs second largest city.
- Libya is politically divided between East and West, and public services are in ruins since the 2011 uprising that sparked years of conflict. The internationally recognized government in Tripoli does not control the eastern areas.