Death toll rising in Libya after flooding

Authorities on Tuesday uncovered more than 1,500 bodies in the city of Derna. State-run news agency LANA reported that the total death toll for the city had passed 5,300, citing a spokesman for the interior ministry of the east Libyan government. The city’s ambulance service put the number closer to 2,300.

Why is the number of fatalities so high? Two dams outside Derna collapsed, according to government officials. Their collapse poured water over entire neighborhoods of the city. Authorities said more than 10,000 people are still missing.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report in World Tour about the road to recovery after a devastating earthquake in Morocco.