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Death toll from floods in northern Libya exceeds 8,000 — parliament’s advisor

According to an adviser to the country's House of Representatives, the number of missing people currently exceeds 10 thousand

CAIRO, September 13. /TASS/. The death toll from heavy rainfall and flooding that devastated northeastern Libya has exceeded 8,000, an advisor to Libya’s House of Representatives (parliament) said.

"The death toll from the natural disaster in northeastern Libya has exceeded 8,000," the Al Arabiya television channel quoted him as saying. The adviser added that, according to his information, "currently, the number of missing people has exceeded 10,000."

It was previously reported that 7,000 were killed in flooding in northeastern Libya.

In the meantime, the municipal head of the port city of Derna, which suffered the worst damage among other Libyan populated localities, told Al Arabiya that "the city authorities expect that the number of victims who suffered from torrential downpour and flooding in the region will increase to 20,000." Not long ago, the health ministry of the government elected by the Libyan parliament in the east assumed that the death toll from the natural disaster will reach 10,000.

Storm Daniel pounded northeastern Libya on September 10, unleashing gale force winds, heavy rainfall and thunderstorms on Mediterranean coastal cities. Many homes, hospitals and other important civilian facilities were flooded. The port city of Derna saw the worst of the devastation, after its two dams collapsed. The Libyan Red Crescent believes that the destruction of the dams outside Derna was the main cause of multiple casualties in the region.