13-9-2023 (DERNA) The true scale of the tragedy in Libya remains uncertain days after two catastrophic dam collapses on Sunday. On Tuesday evening, a local official confirmed a staggering death toll exceeding 5,300.
The Red Cross has reported that at least 10,000 individuals are missing following the catastrophic flooding that ravaged the port city of Derna over the weekend. Local authorities have grimly warned that many of those unaccounted for are likely victims of the disaster. The relentless deluge of muddy water not only swept away vital bridges but also caused numerous multi-storey buildings along the riverbed to collapse.
Tariq al-Kharraz, a representative of Libya’s eastern government, described how entire neighbourhoods had been obliterated, with many bodies tragically carried out to sea.
Derna, home to a population of 90,000, is traversed by the Wadi Derna, a seasonal river originating in the southern highlands. Normally, the city is shielded from flooding by dams. Satellite images capturing the devastation following one of the dam collapses on Sunday illustrate the immense destruction.
Libya has endured years of turmoil and conflict since the popular uprising in 2011 that led to the ousting and death of the country’s longtime dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. The nation remains divided between two rival governments – the UN-brokered, internationally recognized administration based in Tripoli, and a separate administration in the disaster-stricken east.
Investment in infrastructure and public services has dwindled, and there has been minimal oversight of private construction projects. Derna was under the control of Islamist militant groups for several years until its capture in 2019 by General Khalifa Haftar, the leader of an eastern-based military force.
Other areas in close proximity to Derna, including the town of Bayda, reported around 50 fatalities. Additionally, the town of Marj witnessed the extent of damage to fields and farmland through images contrasting conditions before and after the devastating floods.
