What is happening in Libya after the devastating floods of Storm Daniel?

Rescue efforts could be complicated because Libya has two rival governments to the east and west.

Heavy flooding caused by Storm Daniel has devastated eastern Libya, leaving a trail of destruction that will be difficult to repair amid the country's political instability.

About 3,000 people are estimated to have died, while about 10,000 remain missing, raising concerns that the death toll could rise sharply.

How many people are dead?

In Derna alone the death toll reached 3,000 as of Tuesday, according to the eastern administration, which estimated that some 10,000 people are missing.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also said the number of missing people was approaching 10,000. The Libyan Red Crescent said it has recorded 2,084 deaths.

Derna remains largely isolated because road access has not yet been secured and there are power and internet outages in the city. Therefore, the number of dead, missing, and displaced is expected to increase.

What exactly happened?

Heavy rains caused by Storm Daniel quickly caused massive flooding in several areas of eastern Libya, controlled by a different government.

The storm hit the cities of Benghazi, Susa, Beyda, and al-Marj, among others, on Sunday and Monday, but the port city of Derna was the hardest hit.

Two dams upstream from the city burst on Monday, one after the other, releasing huge volumes of water that rushed down the valley and engulfed the area, destroying roads and bridges.

The city is surrounded by mountains, so flash flooding quickly occurred, with water levels rising by up to 3 meters (10 feet).

Images and videos that have emerged since then show large-scale destruction, with entire neighborhoods destroyed, especially those along the Derna River, which runs down from the mountains through the city.

Multi-story apartment buildings that were previously well separated from the river course were also severely damaged and partially collapsed into the mud. There were images showing cars swept away by mudflows.

What are the possible challenges?

A flood of this magnitude and scale that was trapped in a valley harnessed the power of water to significantly destroy infrastructure. A sea bridge has been washed away and the roads to Derna are virtually impassable.

This would be a challenge in any country, but there is another sector in Libya, which has not had lasting peace since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, which plunged the nation into infighting that shows no signs of letting up.

The country's Western administration, headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, is based in Tripoli and enjoys international recognition.

In the disaster-hit east, there is another administration headed by the House of Representatives (CDR), based in Benghazi. The conflict between them has left the oil-rich country with a weakened infrastructure.

Eastern officials have asked for help, but the country's central bank, which is tasked with allocating funds across the country, only recognizes the Western government.

The two sides appear to want to put aside political and military differences, and the government in Tripoli says it will use the resources at its disposal to help affected areas.

Challenges, including how much funding should be allocated to which government agencies, how the money will be spent, and who will be tasked with oversight, promise to complicate cooperation to recover from this flood.

What happens next?

The difficult task of providing emergency assistance to affected areas promises to continue for days if not weeks.

Libyan Health Minister Othman Abdul Jaleel said many more bodies remain under rubble in Derna neighborhoods or have been washed out to sea.

"International intervention is needed," he said, according to state media.

Several foreign governments have sent messages of support and solidarity to Libya. Several nations, including Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Tunisia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, said they were ready to send humanitarian assistance and personnel to help with search and rescue efforts.

Until now, emergency services - government workers, military, volunteers, and residents - have been digging through the rubble to rescue the living and recover the dead.

Authorities have deployed heavy equipment, including excavators, but gaining access to the most affected areas remains a challenge.

Dbeibah announced Tuesday that an aid plane with 14 tons of supplies, medicines, equipment, and medical personnel is headed to Benghazi.