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Over 2,000 feared dead, thousands missing after devastating floods hit Libya

Overturned cars and damaged roads were seen in Libya’s Qandula, west of Derna, on Tuesday after a massive flood ripped through the city of Derna following a heavy storm and rain on Monday.

Authorities in eastern Libya said at least 2,800 people were killed and thousands more were missing after the massive flood ripped through the city of Derna following a heavy storm and rain.

On Monday, the head of the Red Crescent aid group in the region had said Derna’s death toll was at 150 and expected to hit 250. Reuters could not immediately verify either figure.

Libya is politically divided between east and west and public services have crumbled since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that prompted years of conflict. The internationally recognized government in Tripoli does not control eastern areas.

After pummeling Greece last week, Storm Daniel swept in over the Mediterranean on Sunday (September 10), swamping roads and destroying buildings in Derna, and hitting other settlements along the coast, including Libya’s second-biggest city of Benghazi.