More of 2,000 people lost their lives and 1,200 are missing as a consequence of Cyclone Danielwhich has hit the northeastern area of Libya, reported the head of the parallel government in the east, Osama Hammad. The official described the situation in the city of Derna, the most affected by the torrential rains, as “catastrophic.”

“There are thousands of missing people, entire neighborhoods have disappeared along with their residents carried away by a sea,” Hammad warned. In this sense, the head of the Government of National Unity (GUN), established in Tripoli, Abdelhamid Dbeiba, announced this Monday three days of mourning for the victims and flags flew at half-mast in all public institutions.

After spanking Greece and TürkiyeIn 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 Arab Regional Meteorological Center.

Images circulating on social networks show people perched on the roof of their vehicles while they wait for help from rescue teams after being stranded by the torrential rains that hit the cities of Benghazi, Susa, Al Bayda, Al Marj and Derna.

Safety measures

Furthermore, the authorities declared the extreme state of emergencythey closed schools and businesses as well as the main oil fields and imposed a two-day curfew starting at six in the afternoon, when the cyclone reached the eastern coasts of the country this Sunday.

For his part, the prime minister of the parallel Executive, supported by Parliament and based in Benghazi, Osama Hammad, decreed as holiday this Sunday and Mondays in all public institutions and educational establishments, with the exception of security forces, medical personnel and essential professionals, of the Cyrenaica region (east), which controls its administration.