Up to 2,000 feared drowned after Libyan city hit by ‘catastrophic’ storm floods

The Guardian
Sep 11, 2023

Up to 2,000 feared drowned after Libyan city hit by ‘catastrophic’ storm floods


As many as 2,000 people may have been drowned after a powerful storm unleashed catastrophic floods in the eastern Libyan city of Derna, according to the head of one of the country’s two rival governments.

Speaking on Libyan network Almasar, Ossama Hamad, prime minister of the east-based government, reported “more than 2,000 dead and thousands missing” in the city of Derna alone, after torrential rains over the weekend brought by Mediterranean storm Daniel. No medical sources or emergency services have confirmed such figures.