Storm Daniel brought death and destruction in several countries - more than 11,000 dead in Libya

Libyan authorities demanded an investigation on Thursday into whether human faults were to blame for thousands of deaths in what has turned out to be the worst natural disaster in the country's modern history, the CBC reports.

The official death tolls confirmed by officials so far have varied. All numbers are in the thousands, with thousands more still missing. 

The Libyan Red Crescent said Thursday that the death toll had increased to 11,300, while Derna Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi said deaths in the city could reach 18,000 to 20,000, depending on the extent of the damage. 

The World Meteorological Organization has said that the large loss of life could have been avoided if Libya had a functioning weather agency in place.

"If there would have been a normally operating meteorological service, they could have issued warnings," WMO secretary general Petteri Taalashe said in Geneva.

"The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out evacuation of the people and we could have avoided most of the human casualties."

Major dam collapses caused thousands of deaths

In Derna, at least 11,300 people were confirmed dead after the Derna and Mansour dams collapsed, releasing an estimated 30 million cubic metres (39 million cubic yards) of water, and causing catastrophic damage across the area after the Wadi Derna overflowed its banks by 50 metres (160 ft) on each side.

Four bridges also collapsed, while Hamada's aviation minister Hisham Chkiouat said that Derna looked as if it had been hit by a "tsunami". He also said that 25% of the city had "disappeared", with large parts of the city dragged out to the Mediterranean Sea.

Osama Hamada, Prime Minister of the Government of National Stability which controls eastern Libya, declared a state of emergency on 9 September 2023. 

Storm Daniel battering Southern Europe 

At least 14 people died and several remain missing across Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria when torrential rain and severe flooding hit southern Europe in the first week of September. 

According to CNN, flooding has claimed at least three lives in mainland Greece, seven in Turkey and left at least four people dead on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coastline.

Vassilis Kikilias, Greece’s minister for climate crisis and civil protection, said more than 885 people had been rescued so far and six were reported missing.