Libyans face new dangers after floods

Flood victims in Derna whose homes were destroyed by the floods are faced with a dilemma between staying put and risking infection or evacuating through areas contaminated with landmines carried by floodwaters.

Người dân Libya đối mặt hiểm họa khác sau lũ lụt - Ảnh 1.

Medical workers rest after disinfecting flood-damaged areas. Photo: Reuters

Flooding has washed away mines and other weapons left over from years of conflict, adding to the risks for thousands of people displaced from the affected area.

People should consider whether to wade through areas with mines.

Many people were forced to evacuate because they had no clean water after the floods contaminated local water supplies. An official said on September 15 that there were at least 150 cases of diarrhea.

According to Reuters news agency, Mr. Mohamed Alnaji Bushertila, a government employee, said 48 members of his family were missing. Another resident said the survivors did not know what to do next.

Người dân Libya đối mặt hiểm họa khác sau lũ lụt - Ảnh 2.

Rescuers search for missing people. Photo: Reuters

The floods affected about a quarter of all buildings in Derna, with at least 891 completely destroyed and 398 submerged in mud, Reuters news agency reported.

Rescuers were still searching for survivors in the rubble on September 17, after a devastating storm caused two dams in Derna to burst more than a week earlier.

Meanwhile, the United Nations revised the death toll from the Libya floods down from 11,300 to at least 3,958, according to an updated report on the morning of September 17 from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

According to CNN, the revised report also said more than 9,000 people are still missing.

OCHA says more than 40,000 people have been displaced across north-east Libya but warns that number could be higher.

The UN weather agency said earlier this week that most of the deaths could have been avoided if local authorities had better warning systems.

Meanwhile, local officials have also launched an investigation into the collapse of two dams that sent floods into Derna. The head of Libya's eastern government, Osama Hamad, said the investigation would look into how funds meant for the dams' maintenance were misused.

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