Search teams bury flood victims outside Derna

(16 Sep 2023) RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY ASSOCIATED PRESS Martuba, Libya - 15 September 2023 1. Wide of rescue teams performing funeral prayers ahead of burials in Martuba town outside Derna 2. Bodies wrapped in white sheets being removed from back of pick-up 3. Bodies being buried 4. Various of graves being prepared 5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Walid Fathy, relative of some of those being buried: "It is a shock, a big one. friends, beloved ones, relatives all gone in a moment. The numbers are shocking, it's not one or two, there are thousands." 6. Wrapped body being lowered into grave 7. Bulldozer dropping sand into grave 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Farag Abdel Mageed, Martuba resident: "They are mixed victims, Libyans, Egyptians, Sudanese. Women, men, children and elderly people. Entire families, many buildings collapsed, me personally didn't go there, but I listen to people talking and I know Derna very well but I watched (videos) the many buildings that collapsed and entire families gone." 9. People in white protective suits at grave site STORYLINE: Some of the victims of the devastating floods in Libya have been buried in mass graves in Martuba town outside of the city of Derna. Teams in protective suits offered funeral prayers ahead of the mass burials on Friday. "It is a shock, a big one," said one grieving relative, Walid Fathy. "It's not one or two, there are thousands," he said. Health officials warned that standing water opened the door to disease — but said there was no need to rush burials or put the dead in mass graves, as bodies usually do not pose a risk in such cases. Rescue teams were still searching for bodies in Derna on Saturday. It has been nearly a week after the deluge killed more than 11,000 people. Heavy rains caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel caused deadly flooding across eastern Libya. The floods overwhelmed two dams, sending a wall of water several meters high through the center of Derna. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed and people were swept out to sea. The Libyan Red Crescent says that more than 10,000 people are still missing. Searchers were digging through drifts of mud and hollowed-out buildings looking for bodies and possible survivors. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...