Emergency teams in Derna, Libya, are tirelessly working to locate the thousands of people still missing following a catastrophic flash flood that struck the city, leaving a grim toll of at least 4,000 people dead.
The heart-wrenching disaster unfolded when two upstream dams suddenly burst, transforming Derna into an apocalyptic wasteland where entire city blocks were ruthlessly swept into the Mediterranean Sea. Witnesses on the ground recounted the terrifying speed at which the water level rose, mercilessly carrying away cars, buildings, and people in its path. Traumatized survivors shared their harrowing ordeals, with one individual describing a desperate struggle for survival on the fourth floor of a building as the water surged up to the second floor. In the aftermath, the streets of Derna are now lined with hundreds of body bags, awaiting mass burials.
Yann Fridez, the head of the Libya delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, characterized the disaster as “violent and brutal.” He highlighted the extensive destruction of buildings and infrastructure and the heart-wrenching experience of families searching for their missing loved ones.
Derna’s residents are grappling with the enormity of their losses, with estimates suggesting that at least 10% of the city’s population has tragically perished. The devastation was exacerbated by pre-existing infrastructure challenges and ongoing political turmoil in Libya. Climate experts have linked this disaster to a changing climate, with Storm Daniel intensifying during an unusually hot summer.
Petteri Taalas, the UN World Meteorological Organisation chief, emphasized that more effective coordination and functioning early warning systems could have substantially reduced casualties. However, access to Derna remains severely hampered, with roads and bridges destroyed, power and phone lines severed, and over 30,000 people left homeless.
As the international community mourns the profound loss of life and the scale of destruction in Derna, this catastrophe serves as a somber reminder of the devastating impact of climate change on vulnerable regions across the globe.
