Fundraising appeal launched as 5,300 feared dead in flood-hit eastern Libya

A seaside road is collapsed after heavy flooding in Derna, Libya (Libyan government via AP)

An emergency fundraising appeal has been launched by the British Red Cross in response to flooding in Libya which has killed thousands of people.

Emergency workers have uncovered more than 1,500 bodies in the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna, and it was feared the toll could spiral with 10,000 people reported still missing after floodwaters smashed through dams and washed away entire neighbourhoods of the city.