Libya’s General Authority for Search and Identification of Missing Persons announced the completion of DNA analysis for all reference samples collected from families of those lost in the September 2023 Derna flood disaster, a major step in the long recovery and identification process.
Chairman Kamal Al-Sioufi confirmed that 3,297 people are still missing following the floods caused by Storm Daniel, which devastated Derna and other parts of the Green Mountain region on September 11, 2023. The disaster washed away entire neighborhoods, leaving thousands dead, missing, or displaced.
Al-Sioufi said 3,078 reference DNA samples were gathered from victims’ families and processed by the authority’s laboratory teams. The completed genetic database now allows matching with samples taken from unidentified remains. Bone sample analysis is ongoing, with some identities already confirmed and due to be announced by the Attorney General’s Office.
Since the disaster struck, the authority has coordinated body recovery, DNA collection, and the legal reburial of victims. Teams have traveled to multiple cities to reach displaced families and collect reference samples. Special attention has been given to remains buried hastily in the immediate aftermath, which are now being exhumed, tested, and properly reburied.
Al-Sioufi emphasized that the mission will continue until every feasible identification is made. The process is both scientific and humanitarian, aiming to give closure to grieving families while documenting the scale of one of Libya’s deadliest natural disasters.
The floods of September 2023 remain a national tragedy, with recovery efforts highlighting the urgent need for disaster preparedness, stronger infrastructure, and coordinated national response mechanisms.
