Up to 20,000 people may have died in the Libyan city of Derna when a tidal wave ripped through the city. What happened in those dramatic hours – and what is the situation on site now? Eyewitnesses report.
By Mirco Keilberth
“What made the scene so unreal was the silence.” Mohamed Mneina had been standing on the Al Sheiha hill above the city of Derna since the morning on Sunday, the day of the great flood. The family has been growing vegetables here for several generations. When the authorities warned of what could be the strongest storm ever recorded, the Mneinas sought shelter here on their small farm.