About 10,000 people are believed to be missing after heavy flooding in Libya, an official from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Tuesday, as quoted by Reuters.

"We can confirm from our independent sources that the number of missing people has reached 10,000 so far," said head of the IFRC delegation in Libya.

About a quarter of Libya's eastern city of Derna has been destroyed by floods after dams burst in the storm, and more than 1,000 bodies have been recovered so far, a minister in the administration that controls the country's east said on Tuesday.

He said: "The death toll is huge and could reach thousands."

The IFRC may soon launch an appeal for emergency funding to support flood victims in Libya.

Challenges range from access to basic health facilities for health services, shelter and food and non-food items.

Storm "Daniel" slammed into the Mediterranean on Sunday, flooding roads and destroying buildings in Derna and battering other coastal towns, including Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city.

The country is politically divided into east and west with two rival administrations, and public services have collapsed since the 2011 insurgency.

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