Current:Home > MarketsAP PHOTOS: Satellite images show flood devastation that killed more than 11,000 in Libya -FundPrime
AP PHOTOS: Satellite images show flood devastation that killed more than 11,000 in Libya
View
Date:2025-04-13 23:43:15
DERNA, Libya (AP) — Images taken by satellite show the physical devastation from a flood that killed at least 11,300 people in the eastern Libyan city of Derna.
Two dams above Derna burst early Monday under the pressure from rain dropped by a storm. The pent-up water swept blocks of low-lying downtown Derna out to the Mediterranean Sea.
Many said they heard loud explosions as the dams exploded. A flood several meters (many feet) high rolled down a mountainside into the city.
Images made about 400 miles above the earth’s surface show that the storm left a brown layer of mud and dirt across the city.
Untold numbers are buried under mud and debris that includes overturned cars and chunks of concrete. The death toll soared to 11,300 as search efforts continue, Marie el-Drese, secretary-general of the Libyan Red Crescent, told The Associated Press by phone Thursday.
She said that an additional 10,100 had been reported missing. Health authorities previously put the death toll in Derna at 5,500.
The satellite pictures show dirt and debris stretching out to sea into Derna’s shallow waters, which appeared visibly brown near the shoreline. Many bodies washed out to sea have come back with the tide, rescue workers say.
The floods have displaced at least 30,000 people in Derna, according to the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration, and several thousand others were forced to leave their homes in other eastern towns, it said.
Bridges and other basic infrastructure have also been wiped out, especially buildings near the Wadi Derna river.
Because of the damage to roads, aid only began trickling into the city on Tuesday evening.
veryGood! (2759)
Related
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- New tax credits for electric vehicles kicked in last week
- Southern Cities’ Renewable Energy Push Could Be Stifled as Utility Locks Them Into Longer Contracts
- Indiana deputy dies after being attacked by inmate during failed escape
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- In-N-Out brings 'animal style' to Tennessee with plans to expand further in the U.S.
- 5 things to know about Southwest's disastrous meltdown
- Warming Trends: What Happens Once We Stop Shopping, Nano-Devices That Turn Waste Heat into Power and How Your Netflix Consumption Warms the Planet
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- What Has Trump Done to Alaska? Not as Much as He Wanted To
Ranking
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- Kate Mara Gives Sweet Update on Motherhood After Welcoming Baby Boy
- Hugh Hefner’s Son Marston Hefner Says His Wife Anna Isn’t a Big Fan of His OnlyFans
- Covid Killed New York’s Coastal Resilience Bill. People of Color Could Bear Much of the Cost
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- Meeting the Paris Climate Goals is Critical to Preventing Disintegration of Antarctica’s Ice Shelves
- Amazon CEO says company will lay off more than 18,000 workers
- This Frizz-Reducing, Humidity-Proofing Spray Is a Game-Changer for Hair and It Has 39,600+ 5-Star Reviews
Recommendation
Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
Billions in NIH grants could be jeopardized by appointments snafu, Republicans say
Southwest Airlines apologizes and then gives its customers frequent-flyer points
From Brexit to Regrexit
All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
Solar Power Just Miles from the Arctic Circle? In Icy Nordic Climes, It’s Become the Norm
Mental health respite facilities are filling care gaps in over a dozen states
On Climate, Kamala Harris Has a Record and Profile for Action