People look at the damage caused by freak floods in Derna, eastern Libya, on Sept. 11, 2023. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — A family of four from the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp are among the thousands of people killed by devastating floods in Derna, Libya.
The father Saleh Sariya, 63 years old, his wife Sanaa al-Jamal, 50 years old, and their two daughters, 30-year-old Walaa and 32-year-old Hoda, were among the victims, Sariya's brother Mohammad Sariya told L'Orient Today.
More than 5,300 bodies have been counted in the Libyan city of Derna, with the death toll is expected to increase significantly or even double, a minister in the regional administration said on Wednesday.
The flood, wrought by Storm Daniel, was caused after two river dams burst on Sunday afternoon, releasing a surge of water on Derna and washing away buildings.
Mohammad, who lives in the Mieh w Mieh refugee camp near Ain al-Hilweh, told L'Orient Today that Saleh moved to Libya more than 30 years ago to work as an engineer. He added that his brother "immigrated to Libya due to the lack of work [opportunities] in Lebanon."
Mohammad noted that the family was buried in Libya given the security situation in Ain al-Hilweh. He added that "a funeral ceremony will be held in the Mieh w Mieh camp."
Armed clashes broke out on Thursday in Ain al-Hilweh between the Fatah Movement and Islamists, killing 11 people and displacing several thousand from their homes.
Reporting contributed by Muntasser Abdallah