A “horrific road accident” claimed the lives of four members of a Greek rescue team in Libya shortly after they arrived to help with flood rescue operations, a Libyan minister said. The tragedy occurred while the Greek team was en route from Benghazi to Derna, 300 km to the east, eastern Libyan Health Minister Othman Abdeljalil told a news conference in the city devastated by the flood.
“The team consisted of 19 members. Four of them died and the other fifteen were injured. Eight are in stable condition and the other seven are in critical condition,” the minister said.
The accident occurred when the Greek team’s vehicle collided with a car carrying a Libyan family, three of its members were killed and two others seriously injured, the minister added.
In Athens, the Greek army general staff confirmed that a rescue team sent to Libya by the Defense Ministry had been involved in a road accident but limited itself to speaking of “lightly injured » among its members.
“An operation is underway to repatriate these personnel from Benghazi,” according to the Greek authorities who announced the sending to Libya for this purpose of a C-130 plane from the Greek army with a medical team on board.
