Tripoli - Storm Daniel wreaked havoc across the Mediterranean region over the weekend, resulting in the loss of numerous lives and widespread destruction in various countries, including Libya over the past 48 hours.
The exact death toll remains uncertain, with conflicting reports ranging from hundreds to potentially thousands of casualties, as reported by Reuters on Monday, September 11, citing statements from senior officials.
This storm also unleashed torrential rains and caused significant damage in Turkey, Bulgaria, and Greece.
Osama Hamad, the leader of the eastern Libyan government, claimed that over 2,000 individuals perished in the coastal city of Derna, with thousands more reported as missing. However, Hamad did not specify the source of his information, and these figures could not be independently verified. Libya has experienced political division since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, with two rival administrations in control and deteriorating public services.
Hamad's government, which lacks international recognition, operates in the eastern regions of the country under the authority of Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA).
The head of the Red Crescent aid organization in the area expressed expectations of a rising death toll in Derna. "We have recorded a minimum of 150 fatalities (in Derna) due to building collapses. We anticipate the death toll could reach 250. The situation is extremely catastrophic," stated Kais Fhakeri of the Red Crescent, as reported by Reuters.
Mohamed Massoud, a spokesperson for the Benghazi-based administration in Libya, disclosed that at least 150 individuals lost their lives due to "flooding and torrential rains caused by storm Daniel in Derna, the Jabal al-Akhdar region, and the suburbs of Al-Marj," according to AFP. Massoud indicated that hundreds of residents were trapped, and rescue efforts, supported by the military, were underway. He also mentioned that the eastern Libyan authorities had lost contact with nine soldiers during the rescue operations.
Reports, along with images and videos shared by residents in the flood-affected areas, have depicted extensive flooding, damaged roads, and collapsed buildings in various parts of the country, including Derna. The storm also inflicted damage on other coastal communities, including Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city.
Some images have shown massive mudslides, buildings in ruins, and entire neighborhoods submerged in muddy water. Images shared by Almostkbal TV revealed a collapsed road between Sousse and Shahat, the location of the Greek-founded and UNESCO-listed archaeological site Cyrene.
A resident of Derna, Saleh al-Obaidi, recounted how he and his family managed to escape, even as houses in a valley near the city succumbed to the deluge. "People were asleep and woke up to find their homes surrounded by water," he added. Reuters, citing witnesses, reported that the water level in Derna had reached three meters (approximately 10 feet).
Libya's eastern-based parliament declared three days of mourning following the disaster. According to Reuters, ongoing search and rescue operations are being conducted, and authorities have declared a state of extreme emergency, resulting in school and store closures and the implementation of a curfew.
The United Nations in Libya announced that it is closely monitoring the storm's impact and will provide urgent relief assistance to support response efforts at local and national levels.
In the meantime, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, the Prime Minister of the interim western government in Tripoli, declared three days of mourning in affected cities, referring to them as "disaster cities." He emphasized the need for "the unity of all Libyans" in the face of this catastrophe.