Four members of a Greek rescue team were killed in a road accident in Libya on Sunday, shortly after arriving to take part in search and rescue operations following deadly floods, a Libyan minister said.
“The horrible accident” occurred while the Greek team was en route from Benghazi to Derna, 300 km to the east, Eastern Libyan Health Minister Othman Abdeljalil said during a a press conference in the city devastated by the flood.
Three members of a Libyan family killed
“The team was made up of 19 members. Four of them died and the other fifteen were injured. Eight are in stable condition and the other seven in critical condition,” said the minister.
The accident occurred when the Greek team’s vehicle collided with a car carrying a Libyan family, three of its members were killed and two others seriously injured, the minister added.
In Athens, the Greek army general staff confirmed that a rescue team sent to Libya by the Ministry of Defense had been involved in a road accident but limited itself to speaking of “light injuries”. » among its members.
“An operation is underway to repatriate these personnel from Benghazi,” according to the Greek authorities who announced the sending to Libya for this purpose of a C-130 plane from the Greek army with a medical team on board.