Osama Hamad, the Prime Minister of the Libyan Parliament-designated government, announced on Monday the dismissal of the entire municipal council of Derna, and its referral for investigation.
This decision comes in the aftermath of the widespread destruction caused by storm Daniel, which struck eastern Libya.
Thousands of residents of Derna gathered in the city center on Monday, protesting against the two Libyan governments in the east and west. They called for expediting efforts to recover the victims’ bodies, and provide essential services to the devastated areas.
The protesters also urged the Libyan Attorney General to accelerate the investigation into the disaster. In a statement, they called for “taking all legal and judicial measures against anyone involved in negligence or theft that contributed to this catastrophe.”
Hamad told the Al Arabiya news channel that rescue teams are still working to recover bodies from the sea. He added that these bodies are still in the water, located in difficult terrains.
The PM revealed that some countries have been requested to provide assistance by offering helicopters to aid in the recovery of these bodies.
Meanwhile, Health Minister, Othman Abdel-Jalil revealed that the death toll has reached 3,283 in the areas affected by last weeks storm.
He told Russia’s Sputnik news that the latest statistics, as of Monday, indicate that 3,283 deaths have been confirmed, and have already been buried.
Abdel-Jalil noted that “these numbers are not final, and do not reflect the true figure, as there are still many missing individuals and rescue operations are ongoing.”
He also denied the presence of any epidemic risks in the affected areas.
Regarding providing preventive vaccinations to rescue teams, the minister stated, “We have not noticed any infections among the rescue teams. However, as a precautionary measure, we have decided to provide vaccinations to three groups, including the rescue teams, healthcare workers, and children.”