A Palestinian eyewitness, born and residing in Derna, described the conditions in the city located in eastern Libya as catastrophic, stressing that he lost dozens of his relatives in the floods that struck the city a few days ago.
Thousands were killed and missing in Derna, which was recently struck by Storm Daniel, causing floods that caused the largest natural disaster in its history.
Wael Hussein, an engineer working in Derna, told Sky News Arabia over the phone: “There are dozens of bodies, including my relatives, lying on what remains of the roads, or they were swallowed by the sea, or they were lost among the rubble of destroyed homes submerged in mud.”
He continued: “I have been working in Derna for years. I came from my vacation in Tripoli after the hurricane to check on my relatives and my family, and I found the situation catastrophic. Many Palestinian families have lived in Derna for decades, as well as Egyptian, Syrian, and other nationalities families.”
Hussein explained that the communications network was cut off in Derna, and “whoever wants to communicate with the outside must move about 40 kilometers outside the city.”
The Palestinian engineer said: “There is no accurate information about the number of victims. Among them are large numbers of Palestinian families who have lived in Derna for decades, and today they are being buried by the court. There are many Palestinian families whose members have all died. We got to know some of them while we are still searching for others.” “missing.”
Hussein stated, “The severe storm Daniel blew over the region, causing a major disaster the likes of which had never been seen, followed by a hurricane and heavy rains the likes of which we had never seen in our lives.”
Cause dams
He explained, “The geographical nature of Derna contributed to the disaster. At the end of the city, valleys meet, and there are two earthen dams to the south of it that were built since the 1970s, and unfortunately they needed maintenance.”
He said: “Before the disaster occurred at night, the two dams were filled with water as a result of heavy rainwater. The large dam, which reserves a lake behind it about 50 meters deep and 500 meters wide, collapsed at three in the morning while the residents were sleeping, and generated a large flood that swept away the city’s houses, which are crossed by a small canal to drain rainwater.” “.
Hussein continued: “The amount of water in the stream was very large, and it bypassed the canal and swept away the lands and buildings overlooking the valley, which led to the loss of a very large number of residents of the buildings adjacent to the stream. Libyan and Arab families were lost, and the search for the missing is still ongoing.”
The eyewitness stated that he was “looking for people and relatives among the missing, including one of his relatives’ children who went missing before his parents’ eyes.” He said: “Some families were lost, including the Abu Jabal family, the Nofal family, the Palestinian Sariyah family, and other Libyan families. There are no accurate statistics until now. It is a disaster. “Real.”
Derna disaster: strong hurricane or weak infrastructure?
Burial method
Hussein told Sky News Arabia: “The victims are buried through the prosecutor, while the bodies are collected in the hospital and whoever is identified by the family or relatives is given permission for the burial. Palestinians, Libyans, and other nationalities.”
He continued: “The Libyan authorities have identified two burial sites for the victims of the Derna disaster, and mass burials are taking place due to the presence of a large number of victims, some of whom are unidentified.”
Hussein said: “A gloomy atmosphere prevails in the country, a state of psychological instability, overwhelming anger, and a loss of hope of knowing the fate of family and relatives.”
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2023-09-14 21:58:28
