The death toll from flash floods in Libya has passed 6,000 and morgues are overwhelmed, a senior health official said on Thursday.
The flooding began last week and has had a devastating impact on western parts of the country, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without homes.
Dr Sinan Al-Azab, director of health affairs for Sirte and Jufra districts, told Al Jazeera on Thursday that 6,055 people have been killed, including more than 1,000 in his hometown of Sirte.
He said the death toll is expected to rise as people are still missing. Al-Azab also said that many of the bodies had not been identified and that morgues in Sirte and other affected parts of the country had stopped taking in unidentified bodies as they are overwhelmed.
The floods have also had a major impact on infrastructure, including hospitals and water systems, and Al-Azab said health workers were struggling to treat the thousands of people injured in the floods.
The torrential rains followed by flash floods have wreaked havoc in Libya since the beginning of last week. The floods have cut off many towns and cities in the region, with people being unable to access food and clean water.
