Torrential rain flooded Libya’s capital, Tripoli, on Tuesday, October 13, killing at least two people in initial reports, submerging cars and homes, and prompting precautionary power cuts in affected areas.
Jumhouria Bank said one of its employees died from an electric shock; the Tripoli Red Crescent said it recovered his body during the flooding. Rescue teams also recovered a man from a submerged car, according to local television. The casualty count remained uncertain: Reuters reported two deaths, while a later Gulf News report put the toll at at least three and said authorities had not issued a final count.
Central Tripoli Mayor Fadel Abu Arqoub said the rain lasted about two and a half hours and described the situation as catastrophic. Witnesses reported inundated roads and numerous submerged vehicles, while separate footage and reporting showed floodwater entering homes and parts of a hospital. The state-owned electricity company cut power in some areas where rising water reached homes, as authorities sent crews to drain floodwater and security forces closed the capital’s ring road.