Thousands of Libyans have lost family members, friends and neighbors in the devastating floods that engulfed the country s east. Many survivors are still sheltering inside the wrecked city of Derna,
Thousands of Libyans have lost family members, friends and neighbors in the devastating floods that engulfed the country's east. Many survivors are still sheltering inside the wrecked city, waiting for word that the bodies of their loved ones have been found.
Devastating flooding caused by heavy rains in eastern Libya has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and displaced tens of thousands more. The city of Derna was hit particularly hard, with two dams collapsing and causing a wall of water to rush through the city. Many residents are still waiting for news about missing relatives and loved ones.
Abdel-Hamid al-Hassadi survived the devastating flooding in eastern Libya, but he lost some 90 people from his extended family. The 23-year-old law graduate rushed upstairs along with his mother and his elder brother, as heavy rains lashed the city of Derna on the evening of Sept. 10. Soon, torrents of water were washing away buildings next to them. “We witnessed the magnitude of the catastrophe,” al-Hassadi said in a phone interview, referring to the massive flooding that engulfed his city. “We have seen our neighbors’ dead bodies washing away in the floods."