Libya flooding deaths top 11,000, over 10,000 missing – Red Crescent

The death toll from devastating floods in eastern Libya has surpassed 11,000, with over 10,000 people reported missing, the Libyan Red Crescent announced Friday. 

Mediterranean storm Daniel is behind the widespread flooding in the North African nation, as it washed away entire neighborhoods over the weekend and swept bodies out to sea. The torrential rains turned disastrous when two dams failed, leading to evacuation efforts amid increased risks of water-borne explosives and diseases.

Libya's National Center of Meteorology reported that more than 16 inches of rain fell in the northeastern city of Bayda within a 24-hour period to Sunday, according to the flood tracking website Floodlist.

The nearby port city of Derna was the worst affected, with a quarter of the area wiped out. The city has been declared a disaster zone, with electricity and communication having been cut off, according to local officials.

A number of countries have vowed to send aid to Libya, but getting the supplies into the affected areas has proven difficult with many roads blocked and bridges destroyed. Rescue efforts have also been hampered by the current political situation in Libya, with the oil-rich country split between two warring governments – one in the east and the other in the west.

The head of the United Nations World Meteorological Organization said most of Libya's flooding casualties could have been avoided if the divided country had a functioning meteorological service.