TRANSCRIPT
Four Greek rescue workers and three Libyans have been killed in a road accident in the flooded city of Derna, as rescue efforts and aid deliveries into the city continue.
Libya's health minister from the country's eastern government, Othman Abdel Jalil, says the Greek rescue team arrived in the city of Benghazi on Sunday, and the road accident happened as they were on the way to Derna.
"I want to offer, in the name of Mr. Prime Minister and in the name of the Libyan government and the Libyan people, my deepest condolences to our brothers and sisters in the State of Greece. There was a team that came to help the Libyans in rescue operations in the city of Derna, and it arrived today in the city of Benghazi, and on its way to the city of Derna, it faced a truly horrific car accident. The team consisted of 19 people, including four deaths and 15 injured."
Meanwhile a team of French rescuers has set up a field hospital in Derna, with an operating theatre, 14 medicalised beds and a maternity ward.
53 French rescuers and firefighters have been deployed.
The city is a scene of quiet devastation, with piles of rubble cleared to the sides of empty roads along with tangled metal including pieces of wrecked cars.
Entire districts of Derna, with an estimated population of at least 120,000, were swept away or buried in mud.
Local media say at least 891 buildings had been destroyed in the city, whose mayor has said 20,000 people may have died.
Among the buildings to be damaged was the Al Bayda hospital, but its head, Abdul Rahim Mazel says they are still managing to work:
“The higher levels in the hospital are fully operating now, most of the damage that has been done happened to the lower level which led to the damage of many medical devices because of the high water level, and the entrance of a large amount of water into the hospital. This has affected the devices and the infrastructure of the lower level of the hospital.”
But for the people of Derna, the devastation is overwhelming.
Ilham al-Thibyani and her husband Hassan Awad returned to their home in Derna, days after the flood devastated swathes of the coastal city.
Walking through the house, they found their belongings overturned and covered in mud, shattering what Ms al-Thibyani described as a dream of a lifetime - but she is grateful she and her family are still alive.
"Feelings? I don't know what I am feeling, I cannot express it. I saw death with my own eyes, I saw my family about to die in front of my eyes. I wanted to hold on to anything, but I could only say dear God save my children and my husband. I saw people dying in front of me, I saw death, a moment that cannot be described, as much as I try. I cannot express what I feel, I cannot express what I felt. I still feel tired, I cannot rest, I cannot relax. A dream of a lifetime, my husband and I built it step by step. I raised my children here. I was happy that my son's wedding was coming up, it ended in a moment. Thank God, thank God for everything."
Concern is growing about potential outbreaks of disease because of contamination of ground water supplies.
There are also worries that landmines, from past conflicts in Libya, may have been dislodged by the flooding and moved into inhabited areas.
United Nations Libya envoy Abdoulaye Bathily has visited Derna to check up on field operations.
Mr Bathily told a media conference that his visit was to examine the situation and support aid workers on the ground.
“We came here today to look on what’s going on the ground, of course to meet the people, the survivors, those who are affected directly with this disaster and also to interact with our teams on the ground. We’re in an emergency, we have to go and to see them, and they tell us what needs to be done.”
And for those rescuers, the task is grim.
They say they are doing what needs to be done, even though it is a heartbreaking task.
Volunteer rescuer Hussam El-Din Mohamed Hamad says it is the will of God.
“We belong to God, and to him we shall return, we were able to pull out 18 bodies yesterday, and we rescued a family of a woman and 2 daughters, but unfortunately, the husband was found dead. The search is a bit difficult because we are searching for bodies at sea, it was hard for us, but thank God, and with gratitude to those loyal men who sacrificed their lives for this country, they were able to pull out bodies, may God accept them as martyrs. The situation is unfortunately tragic, I have nothing to say, except, we belong to God, and to him we shall return.”
