2,000 dead, thousands missing in Libya after storm Daniel brings flood, rain

Authorities in eastern Libya said at least 2,000 people were killed and thousands more were missing after a massive flood ripped through the city of Derna following a heavy storm and rain.

Ahmed Mismari, the spokesperson for the Libyan National Army (LNA) that controls eastern Libya, said in a televised news conference that the disaster came after dams above Derna had collapsed, "sweeping whole neighbourhoods with their residents into the sea".

Mismari put the number of missing at 5,000-6,000.

A damaged van is seen on a road as a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Shahhat city, Libya, September 11, 2023. (Photo: Reuters)