In Pictures

Photos: Search continues for Libya’s missing; aid arrives for survivors

The death toll has surpassed 11,300 with about 40,000 people displaced from the disaster.

People deliver donated aid to a flash flood-destroyed city of Derna, Libya — For many Libyans, the disastrous flooding that killed more than 11,300 people has fostered a sense of unity. [Yousef Murad/AP Photo]

By News Agencies

A week after a massive wall of water ripped through the Libyan coastal city of Derna sending thousands to their deaths, the focus has turned to caring for survivors.

Citing the Libyan Red Crescent, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Sunday that 10,100 people were still missing in the devastated city.

“These figures are expected to rise in the coming days and weeks as search-and-rescue crews work tirelessly to find survivors,” it said.

Aid is now arriving in the war-plagued North African nation as the world mobilises to help emergency services cope with the aftermath of the deadly flood after two dams burst near Derna last week.

At least 40,000 people have been displaced across northeastern Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration, which cautioned the actual number is likely higher given the difficulty accessing the worst-affected areas.

The dams upstream from Derna failed under the pressure of torrential rains from the hurricane-strength Storm Daniel. The structures were built to protect the port city of 100,000 people after it was hit by significant flooding in the mid-20th century.

Rescuers and relatives search for bodies of the flood victims at the Corniche of the city of Derna — Rescuers and relatives search for bodies at the corniche of Derna city. [Abdulaziz Almnsori/AP Photos]

Rescuers search for possible survivors and bodies of victims under a collapsed building after Storm Daniel swept across eastern Libya, in the port city of Derna — Heavy rains caused by Storm Daniel led to deadly flooding across eastern Libya last weekend. [EPA]

Two men hug as people look for survivors in the flooded city of Derna, Libya — The floods overwhelmed the two dams, sending a wall of water 7 metres (23 feet) high through the centre of Derna, destroying entire neighbourhoods and sweeping people out to sea. [Yousef Murad/AP Photo]

People deliver donated clothes to a flash flood-destroyed city of Derna — People deliver donated clothes to the flash flood-destroyed city of Derna. [Yousef Murad/AP Photo]

Rescuers recover the body of a victim killed during flooding in Derna, Libya — Rescuers recover the body of a victim killed during flooding. [Ricardo Garcia Vilanova/AP Photo]

Rescuers stand near bodies of victims who died after Storm Daniel swept across eastern Libya, before burying the victims in mass graves, in the port city of Derna — Emergency crews stand near bodies before burying the victims in mass graves in the port city of Derna. [EPA]

A view of a damaged neighborhood after Storm Daniel swept across eastern Libya — Authorities and aid groups have voiced concern about the spread of waterborne disease and the shifting of landmines from Libya's recent conflicts. [EPA]

Rescuers and relatives search for bodies of the flood victims at the Corniche of the city of Derna, Libya — Authorities restricted access to the smashed city to make it easier for searchers to dig through the mud and hollowed-out buildings. [Abdulaziz Almnsori/AP Photo]

Rescuers search for bodies of the flood victims at the Corniche of the city of Derna — Rescuers search for bodies at the corniche of Derna. [Abdulaziz Almnsori/AP Photo]

A man sits by the graves of the flash flood victims in Derna, Libya — A man sits by the graves of flash flood victims in Libya's eastern city of Derna. [Yousef Murad/AP Photo]