Torrential rains flood towns in western Libya

TRIPOLI: Severe flooding struck multiple towns in western Libya late Friday evening, disabling power supplies and severing water networks while trapping many residents in sweeping mud currents.

Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah directed officials to swiftly deploy emergency resources to impact zones to guarantee a rapid response, according to an official statement.

Social media footage revealed citizens stranded within vehicles attempting to flee the encroaching mudflows.

In Mizda—a settlement of fewer than 30,000 people situated in the semi‑desert south of Tripoli, where such precipitation is uncommon—flash floods triggered a citywide blackout as numerous power lines collapsed, along with additional structural damage and rockfalls, said municipal spokes­man Omar Kachaka to a regional television station.

Emergency crews operating from the Bani Walid district, approximately 170 kilometers (105 miles) south of Tripoli, were engaged in rescuing individuals who had been swept from automobiles by the rapidly moving debris.

Mayor Ahmed Al‑Sid of Nasmah town—located roughly 150 kilometers south of the capital—declared the area a disaster zone due to extensive destruction caused by the rain and overflowing wadis.

Prime Minister Dbeibah noted he remained closely monitoring the evolving situation and instructed authorities to clear roadways and restore electricity, drinking water, and telecommunications.

At this time, government officials have reported no confirmed fatalities.

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