42 Syrians died in Libya’s floods – SOHR
Qamishli, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a war monitoring group based in Britain, said on Saturday 42 Syrians have been confirmed dead in Libya floods, and the toll could rise to 150.
Rami Abdurrahman, Director of the Observatory, told the Associated Press that 150 Syrians went missing in the floods and is unable to confirm if there are any survivors in the city of Derna in eastern Libya, where the Mediterranean storm Daniel hit.
Dozens are still missing and feared to be dead. Some of the victims were Syrians who left their war-torn country to live and work in Libya for the long run and others were migrants who came there to cross to Europe via smugglers.
The total death toll has surpassed 11,000 and more than 10,000 are missing as rescuers continue to find bodies.
Libya, a country of six million people, is politically divided between east and west and public services have crumbled since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that prompted years of conflict. The internationally recognized government in Tripoli does not control eastern areas.