On Tuesday, Chinese President, Xi Jinping extended a message of condolences to Mohamed Al-Mnifi, the Head of the Libyan Presidential Council, over the deadly storm battering the country.
In his message, Xi said that he was “shocked to learn of the devastating storm in the country, which has caused heavy casualties and property losses,” according to Xinhua news agency.
“On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi mourned deeply for the victims, conveyed sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured.” He also expressed his belief that the “Libyan people will surely overcome the impact of the disaster.”
On Monday, the Libyan Parliament-designated government declared the city of Derna a disaster-stricken area. This is following storm Daniel, which struck the eastern part of the country, and caused extensive damage to public and private property.
The Derna Security Directorate announced a curfew in the city from 7 PM on Sunday to 8 AM on Monday, as part of the response to the aftermath.
According to Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath, the number of flood victims in Derna alone rose to 150 on Monday.
In response to the situation, the High Emergency Committee has declared a state of alert to provide relief to those affected.
Libyan authorities have confirmed that heavy rainfall has caused significant and severe damage to infrastructure and properties, while the search for missing individuals continues.
Several cities in eastern and western Libya have been hit by floods, resulting in the inundation of houses, hospitals, and damage to vehicles. As well as the destruction of roads due to the overflowing of rivers.
The Libyan Red Crescent reported the death of one of its members, several missing, and the loss of two vehicles while attempting to rescue stranded families. The situation in some eastern Libyan cities has reached a critical point due to the floods.
It is expected that the death toll will rise in the coming hours, as the search for missing individuals continues, compounded by the difficulty of accessing some affected areas.