At least 2,000 people are feared dead in Libya after a powerful storm named 'Daniel' unleashed massive floods in the eastern Libyan city of Derna. The Prime Minister of the Eastern-based government Ossama Hamad on Monday said that thousands were believed to be missing after the torrential rains created havoc over the weekend. The death toll in the matter according to an aid group, the 'Red Crescent' in Benghazi, stood at around 250, however, the worst affected area of Derna remained largely cut off with local leaders claiming that the situation there was 'out of control and a catastrophe', reported the Guardian.
A spokesperson for the Libyan army in the east, Maj Gen Ahmed Al-Mismari, suggested that around 5,000 to 6,000 people were missing in the city of Derna which has a population of 100,000. The precise number of the dead is hard to gauge as communications are down and the administration is hampered by a decade-long battle for power between two rival governments, each of which is backed by its own militia.
Wealthy Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and aid agencies rushed emergency aid to the region. The Guardian cited officials as saying that they needed stretchers, food and water.
Earlier on Monday, Mohamed Massoud, a spokesperson for the Benghazi-based administration in Libya, disclosed that "At least 150 people were killed as a result of flooding and torrential rains left by storm Daniel in Derna, the Jabal al-Akhdar region, and the suburbs of Al-Marj," reported news agency AFP.
The deaths in the matter occurred after a powerful storm along with heavy floods led to the collapse of two ageing dams, which eventually released a swollen fast-moving river that washed away at least one neighbourhood in Derna, reported the Guardian.
The catastrophe erased entire residential areas along a river that runs down from the mountains through the city centre. Apartment buildings that once stood far away from the river had collapsed partially into the mud.
Videos Surface On Social Media
Purported visuals started doing rounds on social media. Video by Derna residents posted online showed major devastation. Entire residential blocks areas were erased along Wadi Derna, a river that runs down from the mountains through the city center. Multi-story apartment buildings once well back from the river were partially collapsed into the mud. The said visuals depicted people stranded atop their vehicles, seeking assistance amid the heavy floods unleashed by "Storm Daniel". The cities that were affected by 'Daniel' included Benghazi, Sousse, Al Bayda, Al-Marj, and Derna.
The Libyan authorities earlier declared a state of emergency in response to the crisis which led to the closure of schools, and stores. A curfew was also imposed by the authorities after the storm struck on Sunday and Monday.
Moreover, four major ports of Libya — Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Brega, and Es Sidra — got shut for a period of three days starting from Saturday evening, reported news agency Reuters while citing oil engineers.