Whole families drowned in a Libyan city’s flood. The only warning was the sound of the dams bursting

By YOUSEF MURAD and JACK JEFFERY
Associated Press

DERNA, Libya (AP) — The wall of water several stories high smashed into apartment buildings, drowning entire families in minutes. Residents of the Libyan coastal city of Derna said the only warning they had was the explosive sound of the dams bursting before the torrents of water flooded into the city and washed away neighborhoods. Thousands are dead and more bodies are being recovered, while families desperately try to learn if their loved ones survived. Location proved the difference between life and death for many. Families near the river valley that flooded were lost. Survivors climbed to roofs and stayed the night, witnessing the devastation unfold on the ground.