Tripoli-Based Firm Helps to Remove Derna Flood Debris
(AWP) - Despite the distance between the Libyan capital in the west and Derna in the east, of more than 1,300 kilometers, the Tripoli-based Public Services Company sent machines and equipment to help with repair and rescue operations after a storm claimed the lives of thousands of people and left mounds of debris.
Since their arrival, the machines have been working on removing the heaps of debris from the streets of the city, reopening closed roads and lifting the rubble of collapsed buildings so that life in Derna can return to normal.
Despite the existence of two governments in Libya, one managing western regions’ affairs and the other managing affairs in eastern regions, Libyans have put their differences aside in dealing with the flooding disaster, which caused unprecedented devastation in the port city of Derna.
Jamal al-Kilani, a member of the board of directors of the Tripoli-based Public Services Company, said, “After we heard about the situation in Derna, we prepared a large number of machines, other equipment and resources to help our people here in the city.”
He added, “As soon as we arrived here, we embarked on our work in the streets and alleys, where we have been rescuing citizens and removing water with vacuum tankers and mobile pumps. We worked on cleaning and opening the streets and transporting the waste. We collaborated with other agencies to rescue some people and recover bodies. We are continuing with our cleaning efforts here in the streets of Derna.”
Storm Daniel which struck Derna and other regions in eastern Libya in September caused the collapse of two dams leading to valley waters submerging large swathes of the city and killing thousands of its inhabitants.