African news. Mediterranean storm Daniel caused devastating floods in Libya that swept away entire neighbourhoods and wrecked homes in multiple coastal towns. As many as 2,000 people were feared dead, one of the country’s leaders said Monday reported euronews.
The destruction appeared greatest in Derna, a city formelry held by Islamic extremists in the chaos that has gripped Libya for more than a decade and left it with crumbling and inadequate infrastructure.
The confirmed death toll from the weekend flooding stood at 61 as of late Monday, according to health authorities. But the tally did not include Derna, which had become inaccessible, and many of the thousands missing were believed carried away by waters.
Residents posted videos online showing major devastation. Entire residential areas were erased along a river that runs down form the mountains through the city centre and some buildings were partially collapsed in the mud.
In a phone interview with al-Masar television station Monday, Prime Minister Ossama Hamad of the east Libyan government said 2,000 were feared dead in Derna and thousands were believed missing. He said Derna has been declared a disaster zone.
A spokesman for the country’s armed forced based in the east told a news conference that the death toll in Derna surpassed 2,000. He also said there were between 5,000 and 6,000 reported missing.
Ahmed al-Mosmari, the said spokesman for the country’s armed forces, attributed the catastrophe to the collapse of two nearby dams, causing a lethal flash flood.
In Derna, local media said the situation was catastrophic with no electricity or communications.
In a post on X, the US Embassy in Libya said it was in contact with both the UN and Libyan authorities and was determining how to deliver aid to the most affected areas.
Storm Daniel is expected to arrive in parts of west Egypt on Monday, and the country’s meteorological authorities warned about possible rain and bad weather.