South Africa has expressed sadness at the two natural disasters that have claimed close to 8 000 people’s lives collectively and displaced tens of thousands of residents in eastern Libya and Morocco.
South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement released by his aide on Wednesday said, South Africa shares the pain and loss felt by the people of eastern Libya and Morocco.
According to the Ramaphosa, “These disasters highlight once more the frailty of life when confronted with the forces of nature”, he said.
It was reported that more than 5 000 people have perished due to floods associated with Storm Daniel in eastern Libya while more than 2 000 people died in an earthquake last weekend in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.
In a report, the Authorities in eastern Libya said at least 5,000 people were killed and thousands more were missing after a massive flood ripped through the city of Derna following a heavy storm and rain.
Ahmed Mismari, the spokesperson for the Libyan National Army (LNA) that controls eastern Libya, said in a televised news conference that the disaster came after dams above Derna had collapsed, “sweeping whole neighbourhoods with their residents into the sea”.
It was reported that one of the worst-hit regions was the port city of Derna in eastern Libya, which was declared a disaster zone after two dams there collapsed and large parts of it were submerged, cutting off communications and electricity.
According to the American Geological Institute, the earthquake was measured at a magnitude of 6.8 at 11:11 pm, while Morocco’s seismic monitoring network recorded it at 7 on the Richter scale, making it the most powerful earthquake since 1960.
In a report, Morocco’s Ministry of Interior said the earthquake death toll has reached 2,012 as of 10 p.m. on Saturday, while new data showed that the injured victims number also jumped to 1,059, including 1,404 in critical conditions.
Also reported that families were camped in public spaces over fear of sleeping in their own homes, but the city remains busy with tourists and locals alike. Efforts to clear streets of debris have been relentless, and the major thoroughfares have been successfully cleaned.