Unprecedented floods in Libya have caused massive destruction across the country, the Red Cross and the Libyan government reports that the death toll has climbed to 5300 confirmed deaths overnight.
The rainstorm "Daniel" that passed through Israel and caused unusual September rains reached us after passing through the Mediterranean basin, where the storm hit many areas of Libya and caused a series of extraordinary floods which, according to reports, wiped entire streets, villages and city quarters off the map.
The storm reached the desert country at high speed and led to an unprecedented amount of precipitation in the country, during which a flow of destructive floods was created towards many cities and settlements, the government of Eastern Libya (the country was divided governmentally after the events of the fall of Gaddafi) announced that during the night the death toll climbed to over 5000 verified deaths, many thousands of wounded, and another ten thousand missing.
The main focus of the floods occurred in the east of the country, in the area of the city of Derna, and the settlements around it, which suffered the worst surge. according to reports from ministers in the government of eastern Libya: the situation is becoming tragic from moment to moment, rescuers do not have access to many parts of the city, and the hospitals are filled with bodies."
The storm hit the coastal town of Derna after also passing through Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria, where the storm also caused damage and led to approximately 27 deaths in the three countries. According to experts' estimates, the storm "Daniel" behaves like a "medicane" Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone that rarely occurs.
In their estimation, similar to a hurricane, the storm gained strength as it passed through the sea from the area of Greece towards Libya, where as a result of a combination of hilly topography, dilapidated infrastructure, and desert land, the storm caused massive destruction.
According to the Red Cross organization, 5300 dead have already been identified, but the number is expected to continue to rise, In addition to this, about ten thousand people are identified as being located with many thousands of injured, In addition, several countries have warned of structural damage to water reservoirs and dams in the area as a result of the storm, which may become a ticking bomb that will create More floods.
Libya plunged into a civil war about a decade ago, during the Arab Spring period, and after the overthrow of the dictator Gaddafi, and has since continued to deteriorate, this event is probably the most destructive the country has gone through since the beginning of the civil war that tore Libya in two.