Libyan authorities report that the death toll in the coastal city of Derna has climbed to 11,300 as search and rescue teams continue to uncover victims, following a massive and disastrous flood triggered by heavy rains that breached two dams in the area.
Several Libyan families, homes, and whole neighbourhoods were carried away in the devastating flood that occurred last Sunday night. Apart from the city of Derna, authorities report 170 more individuals in the towns of Bayda, Susa, Um Razas, and Marj have also lost their lives.
Mayor of Derna, Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi, fears the fatalities could surge to 20,000, considering the number of neighbourhoods that were swept away.
The Libyan Red Cresent also says more than 10,100 people are missing in the Mediterranean city, according to a report by aljazeera.com.
The brutal flood severely damaged buildings, roads, and bridges, and has caused cuts in power supply to several areas. Over 30,000 people are also said to have been rendered homeless.
Meanwhile, thousands of those who lost their lives have been buried in mass graves, a move which the World Health Organization (WHO) and other support groups have called an end to, describing it as rash.
Search and rescue teams are currently on the ground trying to locate any survivors trapped in the rubble while thousands more are in the hospital receiving medical attention.
