More than 10000 people died in Libya! "There are approximately 2000 bodies in the sea"
Hurricane Daniel hit eastern Libya on September 10th, causing severe flooding.
The Libyan Red Crescent Society announced on the 14th that the number of fatalities in the most severely affected area, Delna, has risen to 11300, with over 10000 people missing. The local emergency and first aid center announced on the same day that the city of Delna has entered the highest level of emergency.
On the 14th, the Associated Press reported, citing Mary Erdres, Secretary General of the Libyan Red Crescent Society, that the number of victims of the Delna flood reached 11300, with approximately 10100 people missing.
According to Arabia TV on the 14th, the local emergency and first aid center in Delna announced on the same day that the state of emergency in Delna city will be raised to the highest level. To evacuate residents of Delna city, only rescue teams will be restricted from entering the city. The head of the local Red Crescent Media Center in Delna stated that a large number of missing persons were buried in mud, debris, or washed into the sea.
Salim Nass, head of the Delna Red Crescent Media Center: There are many bodies in the sea, and there are approximately 2000 bodies in the sea. We also constantly discovered bodies under the ruins of houses.
Although many roads and bridges in the eastern disaster area of Libya have been washed down by floods, and rescue efforts have been hindered, international rescue forces are currently rushing from all directions to the disaster area of Libya. In addition, UN Secretary General's spokesperson Diarik recently stated that the UN team in Libya is mobilizing resources and emergency teams on site to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the affected population. The World Health Organization announced on the 14th an emergency allocation of $2 million to the disaster stricken area of Libya and activated the emergency medical team network. A batch of 28 tons of medical and emergency supplies will arrive in the disaster stricken area of Libya on the 15th. The World Food Programme stated that it will transport food to the disaster stricken areas in northeastern Libya after a thorough assessment.
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Why is the flood caused by hurricane attacks so severe in eastern Libya?
On the 14th, a convoy of Libyan non-governmental organizations carrying some civilian aid materials entered the city of Derna, which was the hardest hit by the disaster. According to the head of the non-governmental organization, the first batch of convoys consisted of 5 vehicles, carrying urgently needed supplies in the disaster area, including medicine, food, infant formula, clothing, etc. The second batch of convoys will also arrive soon.
How did Hurricane Daniel cross the Mediterranean and trigger floods to hit Libya?
On the 4th of this month, a storm formed over Greece and swept across central Greece, bringing heavy rainfall to the area and causing flooding. During its southward journey to the Mediterranean, this storm gradually evolved into Mediterranean Hurricane Daniel and made landfall in Libya, causing floods that led to the rupture of two dams upstream of the city of Delna. Let's use satellite cloud images to understand the process of Hurricane Daniel causing floods in Libya.
Due to record breaking high temperatures in Europe this summer, the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea was very high. Storms over Greece absorbed a large amount of warm water vapor as they traveled south through the Mediterranean and evolved into the Mediterranean hurricane Daniel. On the 10th, Daniel made landfall along the eastern Mediterranean coast of Libya.
In the early morning of the 11th, the first dam upstream of the city of Delna collapsed, and a tsunami like flood poured down the valley of the Delna River, rushing towards the city of Delna. At around 2:30 am on the 11th, residents of Delna heard a loud noise, likely the sound of the second dam collapsing. In the blink of an eye, a quarter of the city of Delna had already been flooded.
Residential areas, highways, bridges, ports... wherever floods reach, everything is destroyed.
Residents of Delna City: It started raining around 9 pm the previous day, and by around 2 am the next day, I was at home. My house was on the third floor, and the flood came, washing away all the cars on the road.
Residents of Delna: This is a disaster. My younger sister, her son, daughter, and granddaughter, a family of 11, all died.
The number of deaths in Delna may reach up to 20000, and many surrounding areas have also been severely affected by floods
The disaster situation in the coastal city of Delna is currently the most severe. So, what is the specific disaster situation and rescue progress in Delna and its surrounding areas?
This is Delna on the 14th, and the video shows that the neighborhood is covered in ruins, cars are engulfed by soil and debris, and two dams upstream of Delna have already collapsed. After the disaster, emergency rescue teams from all over Libya and some international rescue teams have arrived in the city of Delna one after another. Due to the large number of missing persons being buried in ruins, submerged in mud, or washed into the sea, search and rescue efforts are extremely difficult.
Arab TV quoted the mayor of Delna as saying that based on the degree of damage, it is expected that the number of people killed in the flood in Delna may reach 18000 to 20000. He also stated that the bodies of the victims who were not cleared in a timely manner may trigger the spread of infectious diseases. At present, electricity in Delna City is still being restored, and 60% of residential areas have been electrified. Local disaster affected residents are also actively carrying out self rescue efforts.
Valdia, approximately 143 kilometers west of Delna, was also severely affected by floods. The video shows that after the flood receded, the deformed and cracked roads were exposed, with houses collapsing along the way and the ground covered in mud and sand. Local residents have issued distress signals and are waiting for rescue.
Susa, a coastal village in eastern Libya, is also the hardest hit area of this flood. At present, Susa has been completely destroyed by floods, but due to the obstruction of roads connecting with the outside world, rescue teams have not yet arrived in the Susa area. The Libyan Emergency and Emergency Services Center stated that a humanitarian disaster may occur in Sousa. Starting from the 13th, all power and communication in the area have been interrupted, making communication work more complex. Currently, the power system here has not been restored. Before the flood, there were about 8000 residents in Susa, and it is not yet clear how many people died in the area.
Disaster victim: I live about 40 kilometers away from Susa. So far, many people have gone missing in the valley, and we don't know if they are still alive. In the place where I live, we have lost 8 compatriots.
French media: Delna floods ring the alarm for climate change, old infrastructure urgently needs improvement
According to French media analysis, the deadly floods caused by Hurricane Daniel in Libya have sounded an alarm for the dangerous situation of climate change and the lack of maintenance of old infrastructure in the context of climate change.
The city of Delna is located in a valley with a relatively low terrain. Due to years of war and lack of unified central government management, the local infrastructure is outdated and the flood prevention and control capabilities are weak. At the time of the incident, there was neither a flood warning system nor an emergency evacuation plan in the local area. The consequences of this flood in Libya are particularly severe due to factors such as global warming, desertification, and rising sea levels.
Shirley Sitbourne, a technology journalist for France's 24 television station, said: The situation in Libya is that many coastlines and low-lying areas are densely populated residential areas, and those living there face risks. The temperature there is also very high. We know about global warming, and Libya has a lot of desertification. Last summer, the temperature there reached 50 degrees Celsius, as well as deforestation, rising sea levels, and erosion of the coastline. The soil there is very dry, so when it rains or floods, the disaster will become more severe.
In addition to the collapse of the Delna Dam this time, there have also been cases of dams being washed down by floods in other parts of the world, such as the United States and Indonesia.
Sitbang stated that in the face of climate change, countries and regions need to better adapt to changes in the situation to improve infrastructure conditions.
