Libyan minister says journalists asked to leave flood-hit Derna

Eastern Libyan authorities have asked journalists to leave the flood-hit city of Derna, a government minister told Reuters on Tuesday, saying the large number of journalists was hampering the work of rescue teams.

"It is an attempt to create better conditions for the rescue teams to carry out the work more smoothly and effectively," Hichem Abu Chkiouat, minister of civil aviation in the administration that runs eastern Libya, said by phone.

"The large number of journalists has become an impediment to the work of rescue teams."