The Libyan Red Crescent announced, this Thursday, that the number of fatalities from the floods that devastated the city of Derna, in the east of Libyan territory, about 1,300 kilometers from the capital, Tripoli, rose to 11,300 — the last official record showed 5,500.
According to the Secretary General of the Red Crescent, Marie el-Drese, There are still 10,100 missing in Dernaa city bathed by the Mediterranean Sea.
Local authorities had already admitted the possibility that the final number of victims could be between 18,000 and 20,000, as thousands of people remain missing while desperate relatives search for them.
Currently, one of the main concerns of the Libyan authorities is the shortage of body bags: while the sea continues bringing corpses and there are still some 10,000 people missing, It is feared that the large number of bodies could cause an epidemic in the city.
“In fact, we need specialized teams in the recovery of bodies,” said the mayor of Derna, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, in statements quoted by Al Jazeera. “I fear that the city will be infected by an epidemic due to the large number of corpses in the rubble and in the water.”
According to Al Jazeera, rescue teams have called for international help, especially the shipment of more body bags, as thousands of people were swept into the sea by Sunday’s floods and bodies continue to appear at a high rate.
Thousands of people will have died after a A strong storm caused severe flooding in the coastal city of Derna on Sunday night, causing the failure of dams and causing the collapse of several buildings in the city. Many people were taken by surprise while they were sleeping.
Source: Observadora
