Accident in Libya kills four Greek aid workers: ministry

Four members of a Greek humanitarian aid team dispatched to Libya in the wake of the devastating floods that struck Derna perished in a road accident on Sunday, according to a Libyan minister.

Othman Abdeljalil, health minister in the administration that runs the east of the country, told reporters the accident occurred when the team was en route from Benghazi to Derna, 300 kilometres (185 miles) to the east.

The Libyan health minister said the accident took place when the vehicle collided with a car carrying a Libyan family. Three people in the car died and two were seriously injured, he said.

"The Greek aid team was made up of 19 members. Four of them died and the other 15 were injured," Abdeljalil told a press conference in Derna.

"Eight are in a stable condition and the other seven are critical," he added.

In a statement released late Sunday, the Greek General Staff of National Defense confirmed the accident but provided a different death toll.

It was reported that three members of the Greek humanitarian mission in Libya have perished and another two are missing.

In their initial statement, the Greek authorities only mentioned "minor injuries" among team members.

The Greek army statement said an operation to collect their personnel in Benghazi and repatriate them was underway.

Greece sent, on Sunday morning, humanitarian aid to the areas of Libya struck by the lethal floods of "Storm Daniel", actively demonstrating Greek solidarity with the Libyan people, the foreign ministry said.

Medical and nursing personnel had already arrived in Benghazi aboard a C-130 aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force, along with medical supplies and food.

At the direction of Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, the Greek General Consul in Benghazi, Ambassador Stavros Venizelos, accompanied the aid in order to provide diplomatic support for the operation.