An estimated 400 migrants died when, on the night of Sept 10, the heavy rains of Storm Daniel burst through two dams meant to keep Derna safe.

The International Organization for Migration had previously said that over 100,000 migrants lived in flood-hit areas, including more than 8,000 in the city of Derna.

Dams above the city burst in a storm that sent a huge torrent down a seasonal riverbed running through the centre of the Mediterranean city of 120,000 people.

Thousands of people were killed after two dams above Derna broke on Sept 10 during a powerful storm, bringing down residential blocks lining a usually dry river bed as people slept.

Conflict since a 2011 Nato-backed uprising has ripped apart many communities in Libya, pitted cities against each other and divided the entire country after 2014 between rival governments in the east and west.

Rescue work has been hindered by the political fractures in the country, which has been war on-and-off and lacked a government with nationwide reach since a Nato-backed uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Rescue operations are complicated by political fractures in the country that has been at war on-and-off with no strong central government since a Nato-backed uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

A torrent unleashed by a powerful storm burst dams and hurtled down a seasonal riverbed that bisects the city, washing multi-storey buildings into the sea with sleeping families inside.

More than 5,300 have been confirmed dead so far.

At least 10,000 are missing.

Islamic State's Libyan branch was one of the militant group's strongest outside its original territory in Iraq and Syria, taking advantage of the chaos and warfare that followed a 2011 Nato-backed uprising.

The side backed by an eastern-based military strongman then pulled out of the western city of Tripoli, citing the 'security and safety of citizens', as the UN, European Union and US launched urgent appeals for calm.