Thousands of people were killed and at least 10,000 were missing in Libya in floods caused by a huge Mediterranean storm that burst dams, swept away buildings and wiped out as much as a quarter of the eastern coastal city of Derna. A senior medic in Derna told Reuters that more than 2,000 people were dead, while eastern Libya officials cited by local television were estimating a toll above 5,000. As more bodies were brought to the hospital people looked at them, trying to identify missing family members. At Tripoli airport in northwest Libya, a woman wailed as she received a call saying most of her family were dead or missing. Pope Francis was among world leaders who said they were deeply saddened by the deaths and destruction in Libya.

Source: Libya Today September 13, 2023 14:18 UTC