Libya ministry says Storm death toll to be specified soon: Exclusive
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Libyan Health Ministry spokesperson Malek Marsit tells Al Mayadeen the death toll resulting from Storm Daniel is difficult to tell before all rescue efforts are completed.
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Streets are flooded after storm Daniel in Marj, Libya, September 11, 2023 (Al-Masar TV via AP)
Libya has not seen a storm similar to Storm Daniel in more than 40 years, Health Ministry spokesperson Malek Marsit told Al Mayadeen on Monday.
Derna and al-Bayda are among the worst-hit areas as search and rescue efforts are ongoing in a bid to help all those in need, the Health Ministry official said.
The Government of National Accord in the West sent rescue teams to the Eastern parts of the country, which are controlled by the Benghazi-based government that operates in opposition to the Western-recognized government.
"It is difficult to specify the death toll thus far in light of the huge number of missing individuals," Marsit said, adding that the tally would be "specified after the rescue operations are concluded."
Massive damage in Libya
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.
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.
2000 people dead
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.
The Benghazi-based government 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.
Just earlier in the day, the death toll as a result of storm Daniel hitting eastern Libya was at a meager 25, which was later updated to 250. 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.
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.
A state of extreme emergency was declared by the government, as schools and stores were closed, and a curfew was imposed.
