Libya's devastated eastern city of Derna was counting its dead on Wednesday with the toll from the floodwaters unleashed by Storm Daniel expected to rise even further.
Two dams burst there on Sunday afternoon after the storm hit, releasing a surge of water that tore through the city, sweeping away buildings and the people inside them.
By late Tuesday, the preliminary death toll from authorities in the North African country was at least 5,300 and the figure was expected to jump to over 10,000 amid massive damage to infrastructure in the city.
The authorities have declared a state of emergency, which included suspending classes at all public and private educational institutions and closing shops and called for international support.
Immediate assistance
More aid has been arriving in the country as more countries and continental bodies continue offering immediate assistance.
The European Union said on Tuesday that it "stands ready to help those affected by this calamity."
"Harrowing images from Libya following deaths & destruction caused by floods, especially in the East of the country," European Council President Charles Michel wrote on X and expressed the EU's "most sincere condolences" to the Libyan people and the victims’ families.
The leaders of France and Italy, Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni, also expressed solidarity with Libyans, saying they mobilized resources to help people in the North African country.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his government was "carefully following the consequences of the floods in Libya," adding that Italy was in contact with the Libyan authorities.
Climate crisis
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Rome offered immediate assistance to Libya as well as quake-hit Morocco.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also expressed solidarity with the Libyan people.
"The devastation we see in the images reminds us of the importance of fighting the climate crisis to save lives," he said.
Another offer of help came from Poland, with the country’s Foreign Ministry saying that Warsaw is "deeply distressed" by the scale and tragic consequences of the floods.
"Poland stands ready to provide necessary humanitarian assistance," the ministry said.
Torrential rains from the powerful cyclone swept several areas of eastern Libya on Sunday, most notably the cities of Benghazi, Al Bayda and Al-Marj, as well as Soussa and Der na.
Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, the head of Libya’s Tripoli-based unity government, declared all areas exposed to the storm and floods disaster zones.
