Cyclone Daniel arrived this Sunday on the northeastern coasts of Libyawhere winds of up to 180 kilometers per hour and precipitation of up to 250 milliliters per hour are expected, accompanied by electric storms and floods which caused the closure of the main oil fields and the first injuries, whose number is still unknown.
The subtropical depression mainly impacted the regions of Benghazi, Al Marj, Al Bayda, Shahat, Derna and Tobruk; where the Red Crescent headquarters has so far received more than 2,000 calls from citizens who found themselves trapped in their homes as a result of torrential rains and falling trees.
The local authorities of Benghazi, the second largest city in the country, yesterday decreed a two-day curfew starting at eight in the afternoon and carried out the evacuation of several municipalities, especially those near rivers and valleys.
The National Oil Company (NOC) declared a state of maximum alert and closed the Ras Lanuf, Sidra, Brega and Zueitina fields for at least three days to ensure the safety of employees and their facilities. He also asked all affiliated companies to restrict movements outside the oil sites in addition to monitoring the movements of their ships.
The head of the Government of National Unity (GUN), established in Tripoli, Abdelhamid Dbeiba, ordered all state agencies to prioritize flood management and the creation of emergency committees to react quickly.
For his part, the prime minister of the parallel Executive, supported by Parliament and based in Benghazi, Osama Hammad, decreed this Sunday and Monday as a holiday in all public institutions and schools – with the exception of security forces, medical personnel and indispensable professionals – from the Cyrenaica region (east), which controls its administration.
After hitting Greece and Turkey in recent days, Cyclone Daniel was downgraded to a subtropical storm on September 9 and is expected to weaken in the Maghreb country starting this Monday as it heads towards neighboring Egypt, according to a report from the Center Arab Regional Meteorological.
Source: EFE
Source: Gestion
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