More than 6000 people have lost their lives due to heavy flooding that caused massive devastation across Libya, reported CNN on Wednesday. The death toll was revised on Wednesday morning local time, according to health ministry undersecretary of the Unity Government in Tripoli, Saadeddin Abdul Wakil.
According to workers, mortuaries are overflowing in hospitals that are still closed despite the pressing need to treat disaster survivors. As per Egypt’s emigration ministry, the government buried 87 Egyptian victims who died in Libya.Authorities fear 10,000 more people remain missing, maybe swept out to sea or buried beneath rubble strewn over the metropolis that formerly housed over 100,000 people.
The flooding in Derna has displaced over 30,000 people, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Libya. The extensive damage to the region’s infrastructure has rendered some affected areas inaccessible to humanitarian organisations, CNN reported.
Only two of the seven entry points to Derna are presently open. Officials are digging amid mountains of wreckage for survivors and bodies in order to honour Islamic traditions that the dead should be buried within three days, according to CNN.
Floods in Libya and India’s Himachal Pradesh
They are both tragic natural disasters, but they have some key differences:
1. Location and Scale
Libya : The flooding in Libya affected a specific region, particularly Derna, and was caused by heavy flooding. It led to the loss of more than 6,000 lives and displaced over 30,000 people. It caused massive devastation in the affected areas.
Himachal Pradesh: The floods in Himachal Pradesh affected multiple districts, including Mandi, Shimla, Solan, and Kullu. The death toll reached 242, and around 400 roads were blocked. It was a significant disaster but on a smaller geographical scale compared to the Libya flooding.
2. Causes
Libya : The flooding in Libya was primarily due to heavy rainfall, which overwhelmed the region’s infrastructure and led to the flooding.
Himachal Pradesh: The floods in Himachal Pradesh were also caused by heavy rainfall, with Bilaspur receiving 180mm of rain. The hilly terrain of the region made it susceptible to flash floods and landslides during heavy rain.
3. Response and Access to Affected Areas
Libya : The flooding in Libya has made it difficult for humanitarian organizations to access some of the affected areas due to extensive damage to the region’s infrastructure. Mortuaries are overflowing in hospitals, and there is a pressing need to treat disaster survivors.
Himachal Pradesh : While the flooding in Himachal Pradesh also caused significant damage and blocked roads, India has a relatively more extensive infrastructure and disaster response system. It’s likely that access to affected areas and relief efforts were relatively smoother.
4. Death Toll and Missing Persons
Libya : The reported death toll in Libya was over 6,000, and authorities feared that around 10,000 more people might be missing, possibly swept out to sea or buried beneath rubble.
Himachal Pradesh : The death toll in Himachal Pradesh reached 242, and there is no mention of a significant number of missing persons in the provided information.
