Heavy rains hit several cities in eastern Libya, flooding streets and homes, and prompting some municipalities to declare a state of emergency.
The bad weather also urged head of Libya's parliament-appointed government, Osama Hammad, to instruct relevant bodies to take necessary measures to protect and rescue stranded citizens.
Libya has witnessed two days of heavy rainfall and flooding in Al Bayda city, Sousse and Shahat.
Citizens in those cities fear a disaster scenario similar to Derna, where flooding caused by hurricane-strength Storm Daniel tore through eastern Libya, leaving at least 4,200 people dead and thousands more missing last September.
On Sunday, the Ambulance and Emergency Service said its emergency teams had evacuated some families stranded by the floods.
The Service then declared a state of emergency in Shahat due to the heavy rains. It also deployed its teams throughout the city to help citizens in the event of any emergency.
In Al Bayda, the municipal council addressed the commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and the government of Hammad, saying the city has been “submerged by floods” since Saturday, forcing the relevant authorities to evacuate homes.
The municipal council then urged concerned authorities to find quick and effective solutions to overcome this disaster, and to restore normal life in the city.
Hammad had earlier gave orders for action following heavy rainfall and flooding in Al Bayda city in the Green Mountain region. He also directed both the Interior and Local Governance ministries to raise preparedness levels to the maximum and coordinate with relevant government bodies to alleviate the suffering of citizens in the Green Mountain region.
