Cairo, Sept 15, (dpa/GNA) – A plane carrying 5,000 body bags, on Friday headed to Libya where rescuers are racing against time, in the wake of devastating floods that hit the east of the conflict-ridden country, and caused massive havoc.
The plane took off from Geneva for Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
The weekend floods, triggered by a powerful storm, lashed eastern Libya, causing massive damage to the port city of Derna, where up to 20,000 people are feared to have perished. Parts of the city were washed away by flooding.
Two dams in the mountains above Derna collapsed, triggering allegations of years-long neglect and a lack of maintenance.
Two rival governments are vying for power in the oil-rich country, which has been plagued by chaos since the overthrow of dictator Moamer Gaddafi in 2011. One is based in the east and the other in the capital Tripoli.
The Red Cross has said it is evaluating the risk posed by unexploded ordnances and abandoned munition stores in Derna, calling it an “additional challenge” to residents.
Fears have also mounted about the spread of diseases and infections in the city, due to decomposed bodies amid formidable challenges, facing rescue teams due to flood-destroyed roads, and bad communications.
GNA