Civilians, journalists evacuated from Libya’s Derna after floods

TRIPOLI, Libya

Libyan authorities have evacuated civilians and journalists from the eastern city of Derna amid rescue efforts following devastating floods that killed thousands, according to officials on Wednesday.

“The army evacuated the city from all its residents and journalists to facilitate search and rescue operations,” Tariq al-Kharraz, a spokesman of East Libya-based Interior Ministry, told Anadolu.

Torrential rains from Storm Daniel swept several areas in eastern Libya on Sunday, killing more than 6,000 people with thousands still missing, according to officials.

Adding to the tragedy in Derna was the collapse of two dams, dragging large parts of the coastal city into the sea.

Al-Kharraz earlier said that more than 2,000 corpses had been buried in Derna, including 1,100 unidentified bodies.

On Monday, the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Libyan Red Crescent put the figure of missing people at 10,000.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat