Greek Rescuers Lose Their Lives in Tragic Road Accident in Libya

According to a Libyan official, a tragic road collision resulted in the death of four members of a Greek rescue team and three members of a Libyan family. The incident occurred when a bus carrying the rescuers collided with a car carrying the family while en route to the flood-stricken city of Derna on Sunday. Eight other individuals on the bus and two others in the car sustained serious injuries. In response to the incident, Greece has initiated an investigation in collaboration with Libya. Othman Abdeljalil, the health minister of the eastern administration in Libya, disclosed during a press conference that the team was traveling from Benghazi, a city in the east of the country, when the accident transpired. It is important to note that Libya is divided between two rival governments: a UN-backed administration located in the capital Tripoli and an Egyptian-supported authority based in Benghazi. Initially, Greece's General National Defense Staff (Geetha) reported that the collision only resulted in minor injuries, with a bus carrying medical personnel colliding with a car moving in the opposite direction. However, a diplomatic source informed Greek news site Kathimerini that the team consisted of 16 Greek rescuers and three interpreters. They were headed to join other international teams already on the ground in Derna, including teams from France and Italy. The incident occurred as a result of the devastating floods in Derna triggered by the collapse of two dams during a powerful storm a week earlier. The United Nations' Office for the Co-Ordination of Humanitarian Affairs indicates a death toll of approximately 11,300, with over 10,000 people officially listed as missing. Efforts are currently underway to repatriate the affected rescue team members.