The death toll from the floods in Libya, caused by Hurricane Daniel, has exceeded 8,000 people. Additionally, more than 10,000 residents are reported missing, according to media and agency reports.
The number of casualties due to the natural disaster in northeastern Libya has exceeded 8,000 people. The number of missing persons currently exceeds 10,000, as reported by an advisor to the Libyan parliament.
Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, the head of the municipality of the city of Derna, which bore the brunt of the flood, stated that according to estimates, the death toll from the torrential rains and flooding could rise to 20,000 people.
At least 30,000 people have been displaced in Derna and several thousands of others were forced to flee their homes in other eastern towns, according to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Libya has been ravaged by Hurricane Daniel for several days, leading to massive floods in the country. Satellite images showed the scale of destruction after a severe storm swept away entire buildings and the people inside them on September 8.
Additionally, on September 12, it was reported that a dam near the eastern city of Derna had breached.
But four days earlier, the storm had been brewing over Greece, with reports of strong winds, heavy rains, and flooding in the country as well as in Turkey and Bulgaria.
As the storm moved over the Mediterranean, it transformed into what is known as a “medicane,” or tropical-like cyclone. Daniel grew stronger as it drew energy from the warm Mediterranean waters, where temperatures have risen drastically over the past few years due to climate change.