Libya’s Derna floods: Mourning a year later the loss of mums, dads and kids

One year on, the images of the catastrophic deluge that swept through Libya’s coastal city of Derna, killing thousands, linger in the memories of those who survived.

“Life stopped. It’s only the body that is still alive. I’m not the same person,” says Abdul Aziz Aldali, a young resident.

He lost his mother, father and nephews, who had come for a sleepover at their home, when Storm Daniel hit the city on the night of 10 September.

“I consider them martyrs. My neighbours, the Nasser family, lost 24 martyrs. The water reached them first,” Mr Aldali says.

Derna is built on the delta of the Wadi Derna river. The stream flows through two dams before crossing the city and emptying into the sea.

The unseasonably heavy rains – along with the failure to do maintenance work on ageing infrastructure – overwhelmed the dams, which eventually ruptured at around 02:00 local time on 11 September.

“A huge wave came through [the house]. Water filled up two floors in less than a second. The water was moving us around the house in the darkness,” Mr Aldali recalls.

“The water was taking me up and down. I swim very well, but it’s hard to control when the water keeps flipping you.”

Eventually, the waves propelled him outside.

“I spotted a network tower. A wave came and pushed me towards it, so I clung to it and tried to resist as much as I could.”

A deluge of water struck the city with an estimated force of 24 million tonnes, sparing no one.

“I looked at the people – small children who couldn’t save themselves. Those who were destined to live survived. Those who weren’t passed away,” Mr Aldali recalls.