The official Libyan flood death toll rose to an estimated 6,000 Wednesday as rescue and aid operations ramped up. Roughly 10,000 more people were missing and hospital morgues were full even as many remained out of service to treat survivors.
"The death toll is huge and might reach thousands," said Tamer Ramadan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The Libyan interior ministry raised the official death toll to 5,300 Tuesday night after heavy rains destroyed two dams.
The number of deaths is expected to rise as more victims are discovered.
A quarter of the coastal city of Derna was destroyed, leaving dead bodies lying in the streets.
