The deluge appeared to have done its worst damage in Derna, a city where 2,300 people were confirmed dead and another 5,000 were missing, according to the Ambulance and Emergency Service.
Othman Abduljaleel, the health minister in Libya’s eastern government, described the situation as “catastrophic.”
“The bodies are still lying on the ground in many parts. Hospitals are filled with bodies. And there are areas we have yet to reach,” he said, according to The Associated Press.
That means the toll is likely to rise significantly in the coming days, aid groups warned.
Tamer Ramadan, Libya envoy to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told a video news conference Tuesday that the final death toll could be much higher.
“We confirmed from our independent sources of information the number of missing people is hitting 10,000 persons, so far,” he said, adding that this is not a finalized figure.
The disaster in Libya was “as devastating as the situation in Morocco,” Ramadan said, referring to the earthquake that hit Friday and killed more than 2,800 people.
“The humanitarian needs are huge,” he added.
Dax Bennet Roque, Libya director for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said his team was reporting a “disastrous situation” after the floods hit some of the poorest communities along the coast.
“Many families have lost all their belongings and search and rescue workers are looking for people missing. Tens of thousands of people are displaced with no prospect of going back home,” he said.