Storm and floods kill at least 150 people in Libya-Red Crescent
Storm and floods kill at least 150 people in Libya-Red Crescent: The director of the Red Crescent in Benghazi said on Monday that 150 people had died in the eastern Libyan city of Derna over the last two days due to a strong storm and severe flooding, with 250 more predicted to perish.
Social media footage from Storm Daniel’s impact on Benghazi, Sousse, Al Bayda, Al-Marj, and Derna, a Mediterranean city around 250 km (150 miles) east of Benghazi, showed individuals trapped on the roofs of their cars.
“We counted at least 150 fatalities after the building fall. The death toll is predicted to reach 250. The state of affairs is quite dire, Red Crescent spokesperson Kais Fhakeri told Reuters. It was unclear right away how much was lost in other places.
Ahmed Mohamed, a resident of Derna, told Reuters over the phone on Monday that “we are inside and trying to get out.” According to the LNA’s spokesperson, Ahmad Mismari, there are seven LNA troops among the missing. Khalifa Haftar is the leader of the LNA, which governs the country’s eastern region.
Vehicles washed away by strong floodwaters, according to a video from Almostkbal TV in eastern Libya. The channel also included images of a collapsed road that connected Shahat, the location of the Greek-founded ancient monument Cyrene, which is classified by UNESCO, with Sousse.
Witnesses said that the water level in Derna had risen to three meters (10 feet).
The parliament of eastern Libya has proclaimed three days of mourning. All of the impacted cities were given three days of mourning, which were referred to as “disaster areas” by Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, prime minister of the Tripoli temporary government.
Two oil engineers told Reuters that four important oil ports in Libya—Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Brega, and Es Sidra—were shuttered for three days starting on Saturday evening.
According to witnesses, search and rescue efforts were still underway. An extraordinary emergency was proclaimed by the authorities, who also implemented a curfew and closed schools and businesses.
Although Dbeibah’s administration is not very powerful in eastern Libya, he said on Sunday that he had ordered all state agencies to “immediately deal” with the flooding and devastation in the region’s towns.
The Central Bank of Libya, which distributes funding to government agencies across the nation, acknowledges the legitimacy of Dbeibah’s administration. The UN in Libya said that it would “provide urgent relief assistance in support of response efforts at local and national levels” and that it was carefully monitoring the storm.
Read Also –
