10,000 Missing and Thousands Feared Dead in Eastern Libya Devastated by Floods.

Libya's eastern city of Derna buries 700 of at least 1,000 people killed in devastating flooding, with 10,000 reported missing.*

**CAIRO** - Emergency workers discovered hundreds of bodies amidst the ruins of Derna, Eastern Libya, on Tuesday. There were growing concerns that the death toll could rise further as 10,000 people were still reported missing after floodwaters breached dams and swept away entire neighborhoods in the city.

The shocking loss of life and devastation wrought by Mediterranean storm Daniel not only highlighted the storm's ferocity but also underscored the vulnerability of a nation torn apart by over a decade of chaos. Libya remains divided between rival governments, one in the east and the other in the west, resulting in the neglect of infrastructure in many areas.

Outside assistance began reaching Derna only on Tuesday, more than 36 hours after the disaster struck. The floods inflicted damage on or destroyed many access roads to the coastal city, home to approximately 89,000 residents.

Footage depicted dozens of bodies covered by blankets in the courtyard of a hospital, and another image showed a mass grave heaped with bodies. Over 1,000 bodies have been recovered, including at least 700 that have already been laid to rest, according to the Health Minister for Eastern Libya. Derna's ambulance authority put the current death toll at 2,300.

However, the actual toll is likely much higher, possibly in the thousands, as stated by Tamer Ramadan, Libya's envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. During a U.N. briefing in Geneva via videoconference from Tunisia, he reported that at least 10,000 people were still missing.

The situation in Libya was described as "as devastating as the situation in Morocco," referring to the deadly earthquake near the city of Marrakesh on Friday night.

Derna and other parts of Eastern Libya witnessed the destruction on Sunday night. As the storm battered the coast, Derna residents heard loud explosions and realized that dams outside the city had given way. Flash floods surged down Wadi Derna, a river running from the mountains through the city and into the sea.

One resident, Ahmed Abdalla, said the wall of water "erased everything in its way."

Online videos shared by residents revealed vast expanses of mud and debris where the raging waters had obliterated neighborhoods on both sides of the river. Multi-story apartment buildings that were once well away from the river had their facades torn off, and concrete floors collapsed. Vehicles carried away by the flood were left piled on top of each other.

On Tuesday, local emergency responders, including troops, government workers, volunteers, and residents, sifted through the rubble in search of the deceased. Inflatable boats were also used to retrieve bodies from the water.

Many bodies were believed to be trapped under rubble or swept out into the Mediterranean Sea, said Eastern Libya's Health Minister, Othman Abduljaleel.

"We were stunned by the amount of destruction...the tragedy is very significant, and beyond the capacity of Derna and the government," Abduljaleel told The Associated Press over the phone from Derna.

Red Crescent teams from other parts of Libya arrived in Derna on Tuesday morning, but additional excavators and equipment were yet to arrive.

While flooding is not uncommon in Libya during the rainy season, rarely has it caused this level of devastation. A key question was how the rains managed to breach two dams outside Derna - whether due to poor maintenance or an overwhelming volume of rain.

Karsten Haustein, a climate scientist and meteorologist at Leipzig University, stated that Daniel unloaded 440 millimeters (15.7 inches) of rain on eastern Libya in a short span.

"The infrastructure could probably not cope, leading to the collapse of the dam," he said, adding that human-induced increases in water surface temperatures likely intensified the storm.

Derna has been neglected by local authorities for years, even in terms of maintenance. Jalel Harchaoui, an associate fellow specializing in Libya at the London-based Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies, noted that everything kept getting delayed.

Factionalism also played a role. Derna was controlled by Islamic militant groups for several years. Military commander Khalifa Hifter, the strongman of the East Libyan government, captured the city in 2019 only after months of fierce urban combat.

The Eastern government has remained suspicious of the city ever since, seeking to marginalize its residents from decision-making, according to Harchaoui. This mistrust could prove disastrous in the post-disaster period.

Hifter's government, based in Benghazi, is locked in a bitter rivalry with the western government in the capital, Tripoli. Each side is supported by powerful militias and foreign powers. Hifter receives backing from Egypt, Russia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, while the western Libya administration is supported by Turkey, Qatar, and Italy.

Nonetheless, the initial response to the disaster has seen some collaboration across the divide. The Tripoli-based government of western Libya dispatched a plane carrying 14 tons of medical supplies and healthcare workers to Benghazi. It also pledged the equivalent of $412 million for reconstruction in Derna and other eastern towns. Airplanes carrying humanitarian aid and rescue teams from Egypt, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates arrived in Benghazi on Tuesday. Egypt's military chief of staff met with Hifter to coordinate aid.

The speed at which aid can be delivered to Derna, situated 250 kilometers (150 miles) east of Benghazi, remains uncertain due to ground conditions. Ahmed Amdourd, a Derna municipal official, called for a sea corridor to transport aid and equipment.

U.S. Special Envoy for Libya Richard Norland stated on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, that the United States is working with the United Nations and local authorities to determine how best to target official U.S. assistance.

The storm also affected other areas in eastern Libya, including the town of Bayda, where around 50 people were reported dead. The Medical Center of Bayda, the main hospital, was flooded, and patients had to be evacuated, according to footage shared on Facebook by the center.

Other towns that suffered include Susa, Marj, and Shahatt, according to the government. Hundreds of families were displaced and sought refuge in schools and other government buildings in Benghazi and elsewhere in eastern Libya.

Northeast Libya is one of the country's most fertile and green regions. The Jabal al-Akhdar area - home to Bayda, Marj, and Shahatt - experiences one of the highest average annual rainfall levels in the country, according to the World Bank.