Rabat – The death toll from the devastating floods triggered by Storm Daniel in Libya has now surged past 6,000, Saadeddin Abdul Wakil, the undersecretary of the unity government’s Health Ministry, told Anadolu Agency today.
Wakil revealed that this staggering death toll is preliminary, encompassing all the areas severely affected by the floods. He added that the city of Derna has witnessed the largest number of casualties.
As rescue and recovery efforts continue, there is a growing fear that the death toll may rise even further in the coming hours as thousands remain missing since the disaster hit on Sunday, Wakil added.
One of the most alarming aspects of this disaster is the dire state of government hospitals in the affected regions. According to Wakil, these medical facilities are almost non-operational due to the extensive damage caused by the floods.
Desperate efforts are currently underway to restore functionality to ten hospitals and twenty medical centers in the affected areas, a crucial step in providing medical care to those in need.
The unity government, in coordination with local and international aid organizations, is mobilizing all available resources to provide relief to the affected areas.
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Efforts are focused on search and rescue missions, providing medical care to the injured, and ensuring that basic necessities such as clean water, food, and shelter are provided to those who have lost their homes.
Storm Daniel, also known as Cyclone Daniel, formed from a low-pressure system that began on September 4. As it grew stronger, it turned into a Mediterranean Low – a type of weather system that forms over the Mediterranean Sea – earning the name Storm Daniel.
The storm had some tropical-like characteristics and affected several countries in the Mediterranean region.
Initially, it hit Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey, causing extensive flooding and chaos. But it continued on toward the Libyan coast, causing catastrophic flooding and widespread damage. Eventually, Storm Daniel weakened and became a remnant low.
