Climateupdated 1h ago2 min read
Torrential Rains Flood Tripoli, Libya, Killing Two People
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Torrential rains flood Tripoli, killing two people. A Jumhouria Bank employee died from electrocution amid flooding.
6 outlets told this the same way.
Anadolu Ajansı was read line by line by the Watchdog: 5.0. See the score →
Tripoli floods kill two
Torrential downpours flooded Tripoli, Libya, on Tuesday, killing two people, according to a statement by authorities and a local TV channel. Jumhouria Bank said an employee died due to an electrical shock, and the Tripoli Red Crescent said in a statement it recovered the man’s body during the flooding.
Rescue teams recovered the body of another man from his car, which was submerged in the floodwaters, according to a local TV station. Fadel Abu Arqoub, the mayor of Central Tripoli, told the TV station that the rain lasted for 2-1/2 hours and that the situation was catastrophic.
Power cut and inundation
The state-owned electricity company said it cut off power as a precaution in certain areas where rising water reached homes. Eyewitnesses said the floodwaters inundated roads and submerged numerous vehicles, as residents faced flooded streets in the capital.
Al Jazeera said heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding in Tripoli, submerging cars, trapping people inside buildings and inundating hospitals. Al Jazeera also described videos showing residents pleading for help and a security officer reportedly carrying a man with disabilities to safety.
Authorities mobilize response
The Government of National Unity (GNU) ordered relevant authorities to raise their state of readiness and respond urgently to rainwater accumulation in Tripoli amid rainfall across the city on Tuesday. The instructions directed the National Safety Authority, the General Company for Water and Wastewater, Tripoli Public Services Company, the Emergency Medicine and Support Centre, the Ambulance and Emergency Service and the Air Ambulance Service to mobilise machinery, technical teams and emergency and rescue crews.
The agencies were tasked with deploying teams to affected areas, draining accumulated water, removing obstructions and providing ambulance and rescue services, while the government stressed direct coordination among the relevant authorities. Arab News said the government ordered public services to launch urgent operations to drain the floodwater and security forces announced the closure of the capital’s ring road.