A toddler drowned on Monday after falling into a pool of groundwater flooding the streets of Zliten, a city plagued by the subsurface liquid.
Local residents reported that the 1.5 year-old boy was following his siblings to school when he slipped into a water-filled sinkhole in front of his house. His father pulled him out and rushed him to Zliten Hospital’s intensive care unit.
According to social media posts, the child’s health condition has stabilized although the terrifying accident highlights the increasing dangers Zliten’s 350,000 residents face from rising groundwater.
Frustrated citizens criticized the lack of meaningful government response, demanding urgent action for their “stricken” city. They accused officials of failing to ensure public safety, noting that calamity worsens daily.
Locals described the near-fatal incident involving toddler Ghassan as evidence that the subsurface flood crisis is spiraling out of control. Make-shift solutions like water pumping and pit refills have proven ineffective to sustainably contain the threat.
Zliten’s groundwater table has risen dramatically in recent years, with some experts attributing it to damaged pipelines, natural flows, and inadequate drainage infrastructure. Heavy rains and coastal flooding have exacerbated the precarious situation.