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Rescuers are calling for more body bags to be sent to a Libyan city hit by catastrophic flooding – as fears grow of waterborne diseases spreading.

Multi-storey buildings were washed into the sea while families slept on Sunday, when a powerful storm burst dams and left Derna severely flooded.

The number of dead could reach 20,000, according to the city’s mayor, with at least 30,000 displaced.

Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi said they need teams “specialised in recovering bodies”.

Read more: What caused flooding in Libya?

“I fear that the city will be infected with an epidemic due to the large number of bodies under the rubble and in the water,” he added.

People walk in the mud between the rubbles, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori
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People walk in the mud between the rubbles in the wake of Storm Daniel

Search team director Lutfi al-Misrati echoed the mayor’s worries, and added to Al Jazeera: “We need bags for bodies.”

Rescue teams have arrived from Egypt, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Qatar, the mayor said, as the beach remains littered with clothes, toys and furniture.

Deep mud covers the streets, which are also strewn with hundreds of wrecked cars and fallen trees – one car was even wedged on a second-floor balcony.

A father grieves

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Libya: Grieving father mourns son

Footage of one man, described by the charity Libyan Red Crescent Society as a grieving father, showed his distress as his son’s body was recovered from a collapsed building and prepared for transportation.

“May God make your reward great. Remember God. There is no God but God. May God grant you patience,” one of the rescuers said.

The father replied: “Keep them there, don’t carry them at all. I will do it.”

“Our hearts are with you, we’re all with you,” the rescuer said.

satellite images Libya
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Satellite images show the damage in Libya

It came as the King sent a letter of condolence to the chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi.

The message read: “My wife and I are so desperately saddened by the devastating impact and loss of life caused by Storm Daniel and the subsequent floods.

“We mourn with all those who have lost their loved ones, and continue to pray for everyone whose lives and livelihoods have been affected by the horrific floods.

“I admire greatly all those who are engaged tirelessly in the rescue efforts in such dire conditions, and praise their selfless bravery.”

Aid from the UK

A view shows damaged cars, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori
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A view shows damaged cars, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Derna in Libya

Earlier on Wednesday, the UK government announced an initial aid package worth up to £1m to meet the immediate needs of those affected in Derna.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, it is “shocking to see the scale of the loss and devastation caused by the floods in Libya”, adding that the UK is “working to provide immediate assistance to the Libyan people”.

Libyan officials appealed for international help on Monday, warning the country doesn’t have the necessary experience to deal with a disaster of this scale.

Health officials said on Wednesday the number of deaths in the city had risen to more than 5,100 – while a minister has said 5,300 bodies in the country’s east had been recovered.

Floodwaters from Mediterranean storm Daniel are visible on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023 
Pic:AP
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Floods covered the city. Pic: AP

Search teams have been combing streets, wrecked buildings and even the sea to look for bodies in the coastal Libyan city.

Storm Daniel caused significant damage to roads and telecoms networks on Sunday – with strong winds and sudden heavy rainfall devastating the port city of Derna – about 560 miles (900km) east of the capital, Tripoli.

The “sea is constantly dumping dozens of bodies”, Hichem Abu Chkiouat, minister of civil aviation in the administration that runs eastern Libya, said, adding that reconstruction would cost billions of dollars.

“We have counted more than 5,300 dead so far, and the number is likely to increase significantly and may even double because the number of missing people is also thousands,” he said.

Seven-metre waves

A general view of the city of Derna following Storm Daniel and catastrophic flooding
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A general view of the city of Derna following Storm Daniel and catastrophic flooding

As Storm Daniel pounded the coast on Sunday night, Derna residents said they heard loud explosions when dams outside the city collapsed.

Floodwaters washed down the riverbed, which runs from the mountains through the city and into the sea.

Waves measuring seven metres (23ft) high “destroyed everything in their path”, Yann Fridez, head of the delegation of the International Committee for The Red Cross in Libya, told France24.

“The human toll is enormous,” he said.

Read more:
Libya flood: Before and after pictures show devastation

What caused sheer scale of death and destruction in eastern city of Derna?

Ahmed Abdalla, a survivor who joined the search and rescue effort, said they were putting bodies in the garden of a local hospital before taking them for burial in mass graves at the city’s only intact cemetery.

President Joe Biden also said the United States is sending emergency funds to relief organisations and coordinating with the Libyan authorities and the UN to provide additional support.

But the arrival of aid has been hampered due to the destruction of roads leading to the city.

Bridges over the Derna river that links the city’s eastern and western parts have also collapsed, according to the UN’s migration agency.

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Gaza ceasefire ‘resumes’ after killings and suspension of aid test fragile truce

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Gaza ceasefire 'resumes' after killings and suspension of aid test fragile truce

The Israeli military has said that a ceasefire in Gaza would hold after the truce was seriously tested by an attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and a wave of airstrikes that killed 36 Palestinians.

Aid supplies into the enclave are due to resume on Monday following US pressure, an Israeli security source said, shortly after Israel announced a halt in supplies in response to what it called a “blatant” violation by Hamas of the truce.

A little over a week has passed since the start of the US-proposed ceasefire aimed at ending two years of war.

Israel‘s military said militants fired at troops in areas of Rafah city that are Israeli-controlled, according to agreed-upon ceasefire lines.

The military said Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery, hitting dozens of Hamas targets. It also said its forces struck “terrorists” approaching troops in Beit Lahiya in the north.

Health officials said at least 36 Palestinians were killed across Gaza, including children.

An injured child is carried to Nasser Hospital after an airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza. Pic: AP
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An injured child is carried to Nasser Hospital after an airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza. Pic: AP

One airstrike hit a former school sheltering displaced families in the area of Nuseirat, killing four people, according to Al Awda Hospital, which received the casualties.

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Another hit a tent in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis in the south, killing at least four people, including a woman and two children, according to Nasser Hospital.

Read more:
Israel identifies body of dead hostage

Watch: Evidence of Israeli support for Gaza militia
Violence that plagues Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the military to take “strong action” against any ceasefire violations but did not threaten to return to war.

The armed wing of Hamas continued to accuse Israel of multiple ceasefire violations, but said it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement.

It said communication with its remaining units in Rafah had been cut off for months, adding “we are not responsible for any incidents occurring in those areas”.

Children were injured and some were killed in Sunday's strikes, local health officials say. Pic: AP
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Children were injured and some were killed in Sunday’s strikes, local health officials say. Pic: AP

In a statement on social media on Sunday evening, the IDF said it had “begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire, in line with the terms of the agreement”.

“The IDF will continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly to any violation of it,” it added.

An Israeli source told Sky News: “The bottom line is that we’re done responding. We are now back to where we were this morning before their attack.”

Fearing the truce may collapse, some Palestinians, many of whom have lacked sufficient food for months, rushed to buy goods from the main market in Nuseirat.

Further south in Khan Younis, other families fled their homes and shelters after airstrikes hit nearby.

Major hurdles still stand in the way of a long-lasting peace in Gaza. An earlier ceasefire collapsed in March when Israel launched a barrage of airstrikes.

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Ceasefire faces toughest test

The new ceasefire began on 10 October, but for days the Israeli government and Hamas have been trading accusations of ceasefire violations.

A senior Egyptian official involved in the ceasefire negotiations said “round-the-clock” contacts were under way to de-escalate the situation.

Israel on Saturday pressed Hamas to returning the remains of all 28 dead hostages as promised under the ceasefire, saying the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would stay closed “until further notice”.

Hamas says it has no reason to keep the bodies of the remaining hostages, but that it needs special equipment
recover corpses buried under rubble.

A Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al Hayya has arrived in Cairo to follow up the implementation of the ceasefire deal with mediators and other Palestinian groups.

The next stages are expected to focus on disarming Hamas, Israeli withdrawal from additional areas it controls in Gaza, and future governance of the devastated territory.

The US plan proposes the establishment of an internationally-backed authority.

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‘Priceless’ jewellery stolen from Louvre museum in Paris – as authorities reveal details of daring raid

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'Priceless' jewellery stolen from Louvre museum in Paris - as authorities reveal details of daring raid

“Priceless” jewellery has been stolen from the Louvre museum in Paris – as authorities revealed details of the daring raid that has forced the closure of the world famous landmark.

The museum, which is the world’s most popular, drawing up to 30,000 visitors a day, said on X it was closing for “exceptional reasons” on Sunday.

In a separate post, culture minister Rachida Dati said there had been a robbery and she was on site alongside museum and police teams.

Police working by a basket lift used by thieves at the Louvre museum in Paris. Pic: AP
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Police working by a basket lift used by thieves at the Louvre museum in Paris. Pic: AP

The Louvre museum in Paris. File pic: AP
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The Louvre museum in Paris. File pic: AP

French interior minister Laurent Nunez said the “major robbery” involved intruders entering the museum via a basket lift using a platform mounted on a lorry.

“They broke a window and went towards several display cases where they stole jewellery,” he added.

“These are jewels that have genuine heritage value and are, in fact, priceless.”

Mr Nunez told France Inter radio the robbery lasted seven minutes, while the interior ministry said the criminals fled on two motorbikes. No injuries have been reported.

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The robbers were well-prepared, Mr Nunez said, and “had done scouting”, cutting window panes “with a disc cutter” before escaping “on a TMAX” (a type of Yamaha maxi-scooter).

The robbery took place between 9.30 and 9.40am (8.30-8.40am UK time), the French government said in a statement, adding an investigation has begun, forensic work was under way and “a detailed list of the stolen items is being compiled”.

Hooded criminals carrying “small chainsaws” entered the building from the River Seine side, where construction work is taking place, French daily newspaper, Le Parisien, said, quoting preliminary findings from the police investigation.

A window believed to have been used in a robbery at the Louvre museum in Paris. Pic: Reuters
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A window believed to have been used in a robbery at the Louvre museum in Paris. Pic: Reuters

Thieves used a basket lift mounted on a lorry to rob the Louvre. Pic: AP
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Thieves used a basket lift mounted on a lorry to rob the Louvre. Pic: AP

Intruders went to the Galerie d’Apollon (Apollo Gallery), home to a selection of the French Crown Jewels, the ministry said.

The robbers escaped with nine pieces of jewellery from Napoleon and the Empress’s collection.

A necklace, a brooch, a tiara, were among the items taken from the Napoleon and French Sovereigns display cases. A third robber stayed outside, Le Parisien said.

One of the stolen gems was later found broken outside the museum, according to the paper, which said it was believed to be Empress Eugenie’s crown.

Police sealed off the museum and evacuated visitors. New arrivals were turned away and nearby streets were closed, according to the interior ministry.

Social media users posted pictures and videos from in and outside the building, with one people leaving in what the user described as “total panic”.

Robbers broke in on the Seine side of the museum. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Robbers broke in on the Seine side of the museum. Pic: Reuters

On person on X said they were there and reported a confused-sounding scene of police “running near pyramid and trying to enter the Louvre from glass side doors but they were locked and they could not enter”.

“Everyone inside was running and banging on glass doors to get out, but could not open. Police and military police arrived,” they added.

It’s not the first time the museum, one of the world’s most famous and a French national landmark, has been targeted by thieves.

In 1911, the Mona Lisa vanished from its frame, stolen by a former worker who hid inside the museum and walked out with the painting under his coat.

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It was recovered two years later in Florence – an episode that helped make Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait the world’s best-known artwork.

In 1983, two Renaissance-era pieces of armour were stolen and only recovered nearly four decades later.

The museum’s collection also bears the legacy of Napoleonic-era looting, containing 33,000 works of art, including antiquities, sculptures and paintings.

In addition to the Mona Lisa, its star attractions feature the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

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Hamas hands over bodies of two more hostages, Israel confirms

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Hamas hands over bodies of two more hostages, Israel confirms

Israel has received the bodies of two more hostages from the Red Cross, the Israeli prime minister’s office has confirmed.

Shortly after 10pm UK time on Saturday, Israel’s military said Hamas handed over “two coffins of deceased hostages”.

There has been no identification of the bodies yet.

The news came as tensions were beginning to rise over the closure of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office had said earlier on Saturday evening that it would stay closed “until further notice” – as the deadline for Hamas to return the bodies of the hostages had passed with no confirmation.

Mr Netanyahu had warned that its reopening would depend on how Hamas fulfilled its role in returning the remains of all 28 dead hostages.

The handover brings the count of returned bodies to 12 hostages, up from 10, according to Israel’s tally. Another 16 deceased hostages would then still have to be returned.

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All 28 were supposed to have been handed over by last Monday.

The handover of remains is among key points – along with aid deliveries into Gaza and the devastated territory’s future – in the ceasefire process meant to end two years of war.

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Rafah crossing to remain closed

Israel’s foreign ministry had originally said the Rafah crossing would likely reopen on Sunday – another step in the fragile ceasefire. This has now been revised to being closed “until further notice”.

A satellite image shows the back-up of aid trucks at the border from the air. Pic: ©2025 Vantor/Reuters
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A satellite image shows the back-up of aid trucks at the border from the air. Pic: ©2025 Vantor/Reuters

A fully reopened crossing would make it easier for Gazans to seek medical treatment, travel internationally or visit family in Egypt, which is home to tens of thousands of Palestinians.

It is unclear who will operate the crossing’s heavily damaged Gaza side once the war ends.

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Meanwhile, Gaza’s ruins were being scoured for the dead, over a week into a ceasefire. Newly recovered bodies brought the Palestinian toll above 68,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Read more:
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The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. But the ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.

Famine declared

Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.

Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people in the attack on southern Israel that sparked the war on October 7 2023.

Gaza’s more than two million people are hoping the ceasefire will bring relief from the humanitarian disaster caused by Israel’s offensive. Throughout the war, Israel restricted aid entry to Gaza – sometimes halting it altogether.

Famine was declared in Gaza City, and the UN says it has verified more than 400 people who died of malnutrition-related causes, including more than 100 children.

Officials in Israel say they have let in enough food, accusing Hamas of stealing much of it. The UN and other aid agencies deny this claim.

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