MOSCOW, September 25. /TASS/. A rescue team from the Russian Emergencies Ministry has finished its mission to assist with flood relief efforts in Libya, a ministry’s spokesman told TASS on Monday.
"On instructions from Russian Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov, the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s team has completed its mission in Libya," he said.
The Russian rescue workers have been working round-the-clock for ten days. "Nearly 2,000 cubic meters of debris were cleared. A territory of 610,000 square kilometers and 108 kilometers of coastline were surveyed during the search operation. As many as 153 bodies were retrieved from under the debris and evacuated," he noted.
The ministry’s divers made 47 dives and brought 17 boats and cars to the surface. In all, 33,000 square kilometers were surveyed. Russian medics helped more than 670 people, including 67 children.
The Russian rescue team included 100 specialists - rescuers, divers, medics, psychologists, canine units and drone operators.
Cyclone Daniel made landfall in northeastern Libya on September 10, unleashing gale force winds, heavy rainfall and thunderstorms on coastal cities on the Mediterranean. Numerous homes, hospitals and other important civilian facilities were flooded. The port city of Derna saw the worst of the devastation, as two of its dams collapsed causing a number of casualties in the region. According to the latest data from the Libyan Health Ministry, the death toll from the storm in Derna exceeds 3,800 people. Some time ago, the United Nations put the number of victims at more than 11,000. According to the Derna authorities, the death toll may touch 20,000.