DERNA, Libya: Much of Derna is left with only the ruins of collapsed buildings and the bodies of people killed in the floods.
Rescuers have arrived and are doing what they can and making every effort, but they lack the necessary equipment and experience to deal with the scale of the disaster.
Experts have warned that the dams are at risk of collapse since 2011, but “no one has done anything about it”, they added.
The Turkish Red Crescent compared Derna “to an earthquake”.
Deputy director Ibrahim Ozer told BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight that the damage appeared to have been caused by an earthquake.
“I have been to many disasters including floods, fires and earthquakes, but this one is completely different,” he said. “The storm hit the town pretty hard.
The team, which spent more than six hours traveling from the Libyan city of Benghazi, recently arrived in Derna, where two dams burst due to heavy rains that have flooded entire areas.
There are calls for help, water and – most acutely – body bags.
Rescue workers have now started arriving in Derna, but none of them doubt that the number of people known to have died will rise.
The beach in Derna is covered with clothes, pieces of furniture and children’s toys from the houses that were hit.
There are fears that up to 20,000 people may have lost their lives.
But with so many bodies under buildings or left in the water, disease is another serious threat.
If there is any hope, it is that the rival governments of the divided country have so far put aside their differences to coordinate relief efforts.
The head of Libya’s Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba, has suspended classes across the country for 10 days in solidarity with Libyans affected by the 9/11 floods.
This was announced on Wednesday by the internationally recognized Libyan Government of National Unity, which is based in the capital Tripoli.
Libya’s two rival governments, the internationally recognized Government of National Unity led by Prime Minister Al-Dabaiba and the East Libyan government led by Prime Minister Osama Hamad, are both making efforts to respond to flood-stricken eastern Libya.
The announcement added that the suspension of classes will allow schools to be used as temporary shelters for flood survivors.
