Five members of a Greek Rescue team and three members of a Libyan family lost their lives in a road collision in eastern Libya. The fatal accident occurred as the Greek aid team was en route to the flood-affected city of Derna on a bus, which collided with a car carrying the Libyan family.
According to a Libyan official, the collision resulted in serious injuries to two individuals in the car and eight individuals on the bus. An investigation into the accident has been initiated.
Othman Abdeljalil, the health minister in the eastern Libyan administration, revealed during a news conference that the team was traveling from Benghazi in the east when the tragic crash took place. While he initially reported the death toll as four, Greek authorities confirmed that five members of their humanitarian aid team were among the casualties.
A statement from the Greek chiefs of staff conveyed, “Five bodies, including three officials of the Greek army and two translators from the Greek foreign ministry who were part of the aid team, will be repatriated to Athens on Monday.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences, describing the accident as a “tragedy” and noting that the entire country mourns the loss.
The circumstances surrounding the collision remain unclear, and Greek authorities are collaborating with Libyan officials to investigate the incident. Efforts are underway to repatriate the affected personnel.
The team involved in the accident included 16 Greek rescuers and three interpreters. They were on their way to join other international teams already on the ground, including teams from France and Italy.
The city of Derna had been devastated by severe flooding following the rupture of two dams during a powerful storm. The United Nations has reported a death toll of approximately 11,300, with over 10,000 people officially listed as missing, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
