Cyclone "Daniel" Claims Over Two Thousand Lives, Numbers Expected to Rise

The Head of the Parallel Government in eastern Libya, Osama Hamad, stated today, Monday, that "more than two thousand people have lost their lives due to the cyclone and floods sweeping the country." Hamad added to "Al-Masar" television: "The number of missing is estimated in the thousands while the death toll surpasses two thousand." For his part, the President of the Red Crescent in Benghazi, Qais al-Fakhri, pointed out that "a cyclone and floods in eastern Libya have caused at least 150 deaths in the city of Derna, and the number may rise to 250." In statements to Reuters, al-Fakhri said: "The damage in Derna is very severe. The river, which was 300 meters wide, has become 600 meters. Most of the buildings near the river fell, including the Assurance Building."