More than 100 Syrian dead in Derna floods

112 Syrians, including entire families, have been killed, with over a hundred others still missing, due to the floods that hit the city of Derna in eastern Libya, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Libya hosts a large Syrian community and serves as a crucial point of departure for migrants from Syria and several other countries who set sail towards Europe on overcrowded and dilapidated boats.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory, reported that 112 fatalities and more than a hundred missing persons have been confirmed so far. The chances of finding survivors are diminishing as floods struck Derna on September 10, claiming the lives of 3,300 people, with thousands still missing.

Khaled Ali (37 years old) from Derna recounted over the phone to Agence France-Presse, "I lost two of my brothers, Hani Abdel Hamid Ali and Mahmoud Faisal Ali, along with their wives and their six children," the youngest of whom is just six months old.

He added, "The floods washed away their home, and there was nothing left of it," noting that he identified the bodies of the two young men after they were circulated on social media.

Three years ago, the two young men, Hani and Mahmoud, along with other family members, including Khaled, moved to Libya in search of a livelihood as Lebanon's economic collapse began. They had initially sought refuge in Lebanon to escape the difficult living conditions resulting from the ongoing conflict in Syria since 2011.

Khaled, who works in construction along with the rest of the family, said, "We went from one crisis to another. But this is our fate."

In Damascus, the Qalaji and Khateeb families mourned the loss of eight members: father Mohammed Qalaji, mother Rana Khateeb, and their six children.

Ibrahim Qalaji (46 years old), Mohammed's brother, told Agence France-Presse, "We were in contact with them just three hours before the floods, and they told us that the rain was heavy (...) then all communication was cut off completely." He added, "We later learned from a doctor that my brother and his wife had died, but there is no trace of the rest of the family."

He said, "We surrendered our affairs to God. They lived in exile and died in exile."

While Mohammed, who moved to Libya in 2000 and worked in an auto repair shop, lost his life, his brother Shadi "miraculously survived by holding onto a mosque minaret while people were being swept away from all directions," according to Ibrahim.

Ibrahim added, "My surviving brother there today has no documentation to prove his identity and now has no past, present, or future."


AFP