Hours after flooding in Libya, looters poured into the villas of wealthy families in search of money and gold
Hours after the city of Derna was devastated by flooding, Libyan soldiers arrived in Derna and saw the most horrific sight – hundreds of bodies floating on flooded streets and entire neighborhoods destroyed.
But they also found looters looking for cash and gold.
The Libyan, who identified himself as Saif, said: "I was one of the first soldiers sent from Tripoli to Derna, and after hearing initial reports about the complete destruction of the city, we were told to go to the city. "Monday In the first hours after the storm subsided this morning, what we saw was chaos and panic. Hundreds of bodies floated in the water and in their homes. But I've also seen looters lurking in people's homes, trying to steal the property of the dead.
Torrential rains from Storm Yao caused two dams above coastal towns to burst, causing torrents that swept through the neighborhood and killed nearly 4,000 people.
The soldier, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Libyan authorities arrested up to 20 looters and held them in the central prison in Derna, amid the chaos that followed the floods.
Residents and NGO staff confirmed that they had witnessed police arrests. Some residents said soldiers opened fire on the robbery suspect but could not verify whether anyone had been hit or killed.
"Derna is generally a middle-class town, but people are so connected that everyone knows where people with cash and gold live, and most of the rich live in the Derna Valley," said one volunteer. On the shore. The looters knew that those living in the villa and the second floor had no chance of survival. Early on, we noticed looters when they entered people's homes. They said at first they were helping with rescue operations, but we saw them leave with gold and cash, who did that in a disaster? That's why we know they have bad intentions. ”
Saif soldier added: "These are people's means of livelihood and property. Even if no one takes back cash and gold because those who have it long since died, this is still wrong. This should not be accepted in any world. ”
It is understood that volunteers spent several days removing as many bodies as possible from the rubble, then collected valuables such as cash and gold and handed them over to the military.
"We make sure everything we collect is recorded by matching valuables with the address of the apartment or house where we found them," he said. If we cannot find them, we will identify them by passport or ID card. Wait for official government documents to match and hand them over. ”
Residents were annoyed by the reaction and rushed home
With the death toll rising and thousands missing, the Libyan authorities are under intense pressure to address the disaster.
Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has been ruled by two rival governments. The rest of Derna and the rest of eastern Libya are controlled by the House of Representatives led by Aquila Saleh.
Analysts say local authorities neglected to maintain critical infrastructure, with two dams bursting, triggering deadly torrents that swept through the town of 100,000 people.
Despite ongoing international relief efforts, the response to the floods has also been criticized for being uncoordinated.
UN agencies have warned that tens of thousands of residents are left homeless without clean water, food and basic necessities due to rising cholera, diarrhoea, dehydration and malnutrition.
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