At least 2,000 people are believed to be dead in Libya due to unprecedented flooding caused by storm Daniel, an official said on Monday, commenting on the storm that has swept through the Mediterranean region.

Earlier, the head of the Red Crescent in Benghazi told Reuters that powerful storms and floods left 250 dead and 150 missing in Derna city.

The devastating consequences of this natural catastrophe were also confirmed by Mohamed Massoud, a spokesperson for the Benghazi-based administration in Libya, during a press briefing on Monday.

The torrential rains and flooding unleashed by storm Daniel had wrought havoc in multiple regions, including Derna, the Jabal al-Akhdar area, and the outskirts of al-Marj, Benghazi-based administration spokesperson Mohamed Massoud said.

"This is besides the massive material damage that struck public and private properties," he added, emphasizing the widespread destruction that the storm left in its wake.

In a phone interview with al-Masar television station on Monday, Prime Minister Ossama Hamad said that 2,000 were feared dead in the eastern city of Derna, and thousands of others are reported missing.

Hamad, along with the head of a rescue committee and other ministers, rushed to Derna to assess the extent of the damages.

Health Minister Othman Abduljaleel, meanwhile, revealed that at least 50 others were missing in light of the disaster afflicting the nation.

Derna a disaster area

Hamad's government, which operates in opposition to the UN-recognized transitional administration in Tripoli, officially declared Derna a "disaster area" on Monday.

Experts have characterized Storm Daniel as "extreme in terms of the amount of water falling in a space of 24 hours." The storm not only ravaged eastern Libya but also wreaked havoc in parts of Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria, resulting in the loss of at least 27 lives.

The tempest struck eastern Libya on Sunday afternoon, with Jabal al-Akhdar, a coastal town, bearing the brunt of its fury. In response to the crisis, a curfew was imposed in Benghazi, and schools were closed for several days to ensure the safety of residents.

Rescue teams were swiftly deployed to Derna, a city situated 900 kilometers (560 miles) east of the capital, Tripoli.

During rescue operations in Derna, East Libyan authorities lost contact with nine soldiers, further underscoring the gravity of the situation.

As the affected regions grapple with the aftermath of this devastating storm, the Libyan people and the international community stand in solidarity, offering support and assistance to those affected by this natural disaster.

Schools closed, curfew imposed

Just earlier in the day, the death toll as a result of storm Daniel hitting eastern Libya was 25. People were shown to be stranded on the roofs of vehicles, in social media footage, as they sought help in the heavy floods that hit the cities of Benghazi, Sousse, Al Bayda, Al-Marj, and Derna.  

A state of extreme emergency was declared by the government, as schools and stores were closed and a curfew was imposed. 

The situation is very bad in the city of Shahat, eastern Libya pic.twitter.com/OD3s7qrSRJ

— Mahmud Mohammed (@MahmudM27830556) September 10, 2023

Two oil engineers revealed to Reuters that four major oil ports, including Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Brega, and Es Sidra, were closed for three days as of Saturday. 

On Sunday, the prime minister of the interim government in Tripoli, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, stated that he issued orders to all state agencies to "immediately deal" with the damage. 

The United Nations in Libya claimed that it would "provide urgent relief assistance in support of response efforts at local and national levels."