More than 3,000 people have died and many others remain unaccounted for after floods caused by Storm Daniel struck eastern Libya, an official said on Tuesday, Anadolu reports.
Speaking to Anadolu, Othman Abdul Jalil, health minister of the parliament-appointed government, said most of the victims were in the coastal city of Derna.
Other cities and towns affected by the weekend catastrophe include Benghazi, Bayda, Al Marj, and Soussa.
Jalil estimated the number of missing people in thousands, but refrained from giving an exact figure.
Around 7,000 families remain stranded in the affected areas, and rescue operations were underway to evacuate them, the source said.
The Libyan Red Crescent lost four of its workers while helping in the rescue efforts, according to the official.
Georgette Gagnon, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Libya, said she was “deeply saddened” by the severe impact of the hurricane, and tasked an emergency response team to support local authorities and partners in the region.
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