Libya injuries toll exceeds 7,000, emergency services say

World September 13, 2023, 17:36

It is reported that field hospitals have been deployed in flood-affected areas, as "most hospitals in Derna are not working"

TASS, September 13. The number of injuries due to the flooding in Libya has exceeded 7,000, a spokesman for the emergency services said on Wednesday.

"More than 7,000 people were injured," Al Jazeera TV quoted his statement.

He also noted that field hospitals have been deployed in flood-affected areas, "most hospitals in Derna are not working." Services are facing difficulties in distributing humanitarian aid.

The number of deaths caused by heavy rains and flooding in Derna, located in the northeast of the country, has risen to 7,000, a spokesman for the House of Representatives (Parliament) of Libya, Abdullah Belhaiq, told the Egyptian TV channel Al-Qahera News.

Earlier Al Hadath TV channel reported that the number of victims amounted to 6,000 just in Derna. This data was confirmed on Wednesday by the Ministry of Health of the Government of National Unity of Libya, the headquarters of which is located in Tripoli. The agency also reported that it expects the death toll to increase to 10,000.

Cyclone Daniel struck northeastern Libya on September 10, bringing storm winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms to cities along the Mediterranean coast. Many houses, hospitals and other important civilian facilities were flooded. The city of Derna has been most seriously affected. Two dams have been destroyed there; a catastrophic situation is occurring. The destruction of the dams near Derna is what the Libyan Red Crescent believes to be the main cause of numerous casualties in the region.

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