The Libyan Prime Minister-designate in eastern region, Osama Hammad, in his capacity as the Head of the High Committee for Emergency and Rapid Response, declared Derna a disaster city after it was hit by to torrential rain from Storm Daniel.
The decision said that all relevant authorities must take the necessary exceptional procedures and measures to deal with the situation in Derna, protect the people and help them overcome this crisis.
Storm Daniel caused a total interruption of communications and cut off the Internet in Derna, as Hammad told reporters Monday afternoon that they had registered 2000 deaths only in the coastal city of Derna, confirming that entire neighborhoods had been ravaged and washed away by Storm Daniel. While Hammad's Interior Minister, Essam Abu Zariba, also said that the number of missing persons could be over 5000.
The General Electricity Company of Libya called on the emergency rooms and maintenance teams to quickly go to Derna and support the maintenance and emergency departments in the city due to the loss of all communications with them, calling on everyone, each in their own capacity, to do what is necessary upon arrival in the city.
Late on Sunday night, the Derna Valley stream in the city center overflowed with rainwater, leading to a raging torrent that threatened the city residents' lives even inside their homes. Footage was circulated on social media showing heavy torrents in the Valley, whose course was located in the center of the city.
In addition to jeopardizing the lives of residents, the current conditions threaten the main landmarks in Derna, especially Sahaba shrine and its mosque, and the Derna waterfall, which is the city’s largest tourist attraction.
