Powerful storm sweeps through eastern Libya

BENGHAZHI - A powerful Mediterranean storm swept through eastern Libya, damaging houses and roads and killing at least three people, government sources and witnesses said on Monday. Two people were missing.

Footage on social media showed people stranded on the roofs of their vehicles while trying get help in heavy floods as Storm Daniel hit the cities of Benghazi, Sousse, Al Bayda, Al-Marj and Derna.

Authorities declared a state of extreme emergency, closing schools and stores and imposing a curfew as the storm hit on Sunday and Monday.

Four major oil ports in Libya including Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Brega and Es Sidra were closed from Saturday evening for three days, two oil engineers told Reuters.

The prime minister of the interim government in Tripoli, Abdulhamid Dbeiba, said on Sunday he had directed all state agencies to “immediately deal” with the damage and floods in eastern cities.

The United Nations in Libya said it was following the storm closely and would "provide urgent relief assistance in support of response efforts at local and national levels".