Watch: UAE aid planes arrive in Benghazi to support flood victims

The United Arab Emirates has sent two aid planes carrying 150 tonnes of urgent food, relief and medical supplies to Benina Airport in Libya to support those affected by the devastating floods caused by the heavy rains, which resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries.

The UAE's response is part of its air bridge to provide urgent relief aid to those in need and those affected by floods in Libya.

Catastrophic floods

At least 2,300 people were killed in catastrophic floods that tore through the Libyan city of Derna, the emergency services said Tuesday, but a far higher death toll is feared.

Massive destruction shattered the Mediterranean coastal city of Derna, home to about 100,000 people, where multi-storey buildings on the river banks collapsed and houses and cars vanished in the raging waters.

The floods were caused by torrential rains from Storm Daniel, which made landfall in Libya on Sunday after earlier lashing Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey.

Derna, 250 kilometres (150 miles) east of Benghazi, is ringed by hills and bisected by what is normally a dry riverbed in summer, but which has turned into a raging torrent of mud-brown water that also swept away several major bridges.

"The death toll is huge and might reach thousands," said Tamer Ramadan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, adding 10,000 people were missing.

The storm also hit Benghazi and the hill district of Jabal al-Akhdar. Flooding, mudslides and other major damage were reported from the wider region, with images showing overturned cars and trucks.

(With inputs from AFP)

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