Michelle ThompsonIn the coastal town of Susa in northern Libya, an initial count on Monday indicated that at least seven people had died.
After the Mediterranean storm Daniel wreaked havoc on the country’s various regions over the weekend, authorities in eastern Libya named the city of Derna a disaster zone on Monday.
According to the Ambulance and Emergency Authority, one further person was pronounced dead on Sunday, bringing the total number of fatalities in the seaside town of Susa in northeastern Libya to at least seven as of Monday. According to Walid al-Arfi, spokesman for the government-run emergency response organization in eastern Libya, the man was trapped in his car and surrounded by floods in the eastern town of Marj.
The Libyan Red Crescent reported that one of their employees went missing while trying to rescue a stranded family in Bayda. According to local media, dozens of other people were reported missing, and authorities believe that they may have perished in the floodwaters that obliterated homes and other properties in many towns in eastern Libya.
Libyans posted videos of flooded homes and highways on social media over the weekend in various parts of eastern Libya. As floods engulfed residents of homes and automobiles, they begged for assistance.
After severe flooding and rain caused much of the city to be damaged, Osama Hamad, the prime minister of the east Libyan government, designated Derna a disaster zone.
In preparation for the storm, which made landfall overnight, Hamad’s government issued an emergency declaration on Saturday and cancelled classes.
Cmdr. Khalifa Hifter, who was in charge of eastern and western Libya, sent troops to aid the citizens of Benghazi and other eastern towns. Five soldiers who were assisting Bayda’s trapped families lost communication, according to Ahmed al-Mosmari, a spokesman for Hifter’s forces.
The storm is anticipated to hit regions of west Egypt on Monday, and the nation’s meteorological authorities have issued a weather warning.
Emily Martinez
