Four members of a Greek rescue team and three members of a Libyan family were killed in a road accident while on their way to the flood-ravaged city of Derna, according to the health minister for the Libyan eastern government. The minister also stated that fifteen members of the Greek rescue team were injured, with seven in critical condition, along with two members of the Libyan family. The Greek Armed Forces confirmed that a bus carrying medical personnel collided with a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, but did not confirm the reported deaths. They are currently investigating the incident in cooperation with Libyan authorities and are working on repatriating the personnel. The Greek foreign ministry has not yet commented on the reported deaths. It is worth noting that the Greek rescue team consisted of 16 members and three interpreters.
The accident occurred in the aftermath of a powerful storm that caused two dams above Derna to break, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives. Residential blocks along a usually dry riverbed collapsed while people were sleeping, and many bodies have been washed out to sea.
Reporting by Hatem Maher, Muhammad Al Gebaly, and Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Christina Fincher and Conor Humphries. Our Standards: The Thomson RushHourDaily Trust Principles.
