Death toll from collision involving bus carrying members of humanitarian mission in east Libya rises to five; PM’s condolences

The bus passengers, Greek military officers and civilians, were headed to the flood-devastated coastal city of Derna after arriving by plane in Benghazi.

Two military cargo planes repatriated 14 members of the mission and the bodies of the five victims overnight. Some of the members of the mission have been seriously injured, and therefore transported to military hospitals.

A three-day mourning period was declared for the Greek armed forces.

Libyan authorities are still investigating the causes of the collision, with the first initial reports out of the North African country claiming the passenger vehicle was traveling in the wrong lane and collided head-on with the coach.

In a post on his Facebook account on Monday morning, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted that “…it is doubly painful to mourn the lives of those lost saving lives, and to also agonize about the health of our people, who strived to ease the pain of other people… In this tragic accident we mourn, woefully, five members of the Greek mission. A tragedy occurred as they were performing a noble task of humanitarianism and international solidarity. The whole country mourns. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and our 10 injured. The state will stand by their side.”