DERNA: As Libya was reeling on Wednesday from a massive flood that left thousands dead and missing, wreaking havoc in the eastern city of Derna, relief missions gathered pace with Turkiye, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates among the first nations to rush aid to the country. Many were swept out into the sea, with bodies later washing up on beaches littered with debris and car wrecks. The United Nations’ humanitarian agency OCHA on Wednesday reported estimates of “over 2,000 deaths and at least 5,000 people missing”. Several nations offered urgent aid and rescue teams to help address what one UN official called “a calamity of epic proportions”. Hurricane-strength Mediterranean storms such as Daniel — which earlier hit Turkiye, Bulgaria and Greece — are known as “medicanes” which can gain strength as warmer air absorbs more moisture.

Source: Libya Today September 14, 2023 03:59 UTC