CAIRO, September 13. /TASS/. More than 11,000 people are still missing after heavy rain and flooding in the northeastern region of Libya, the Al Arabiya TV channel reports.

According to its data, more than 11,000 people are currently missing due to the disaster. The channel points out that more than 30,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes in the city of Derna. This city has been affected by flooding more than other settlements.

Among the missing are 40 Libyan army soldiers. They had been deployed to the dam near Derna to guard it and ensure the normal flow of traffic on the road leading to the dam before it was destroyed by flooding.

On Tuesday afternoon, a Libyan Health Ministry spokesman announced that the authorities were considering temporarily evacuating all Derna residents. According to the official, "the city's authorities fear the outbreak of epidemics not being able to bury the bodies of all the dead people." He also notes that "there is almost no hope of finding survivors among the missing citizens."

Cyclone Daniel struck northeastern Libya on September 10, bringing gale force 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 was hit especially hard. Two dams have been destroyed there. The destruction of the dams near Derna is what the Libyan Red Crescent believes to be the main cause of casualties in the region. As the Al Hadath TV channel reported, the number of victims in Derna alone is currently 6,000. The Ministry of Health in the government appointed by the Libyan parliament reported earlier that it expects the number of victims to rise to 10,000.