…death toll in Morocco earthquake hits over 2,000
…Ronaldo offers shelter to survivors
…AfDB offers assistance
At least 150 people were killed, and a powerful Mediterranean storm-damaged homes and roads in eastern Libya on Sunday and Monday.
Ahmad Mesmari, a spokesman for the Libyan National Army, reported that seven soldiers were missing.
As Storm ‘Daniel’ slammed the cities of Benghazi, Sousse, Al Bayda, Al-Marj, and Derna, footage posted on social media showed individuals trying to find help while stranded on the roofs of their cars amid severe flooding.
“At least 150 people were killed as a result of flooding and torrential rains left by storm Daniel in Derna, the Jabal al-Akhdar region and the suburbs of Al-Marj,” Mohamed Massoud, a spokesman for the Benghazi-based administration in Libya, told AFP.
“This is besides the massive material damage that struck public and private properties,” he said.
He said that Oussama Hamad, the prime minister of the east-based government, and the head of a rescue committee, as well as other ministers, had travelled to Derna to evaluate the extent of the damage.
Experts have described Storm Daniel as “extreme in terms of the amount of water falling in the space of 24 hours”. It has also recently struck parts of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, killing at least 27 people.
Rescue teams were also deployed in Derna, 900 kilometres (560 miles) east of Tripoli’s capital.
With a population of 100,000, the city lies in the wadi of a river bearing the same name.
Morocco’s earthquake
The death toll from the earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday has climbed to 2,122, with 2,421 people injured, state TV reported. The quake, which had a magnitude of 6.8, was the largest to hit Morocco in over a century.
The damage to Morocco’s cultural heritage became more evident as local media reported the collapse of a historically crucial 12th-century mosque. The quake also damaged parts of Marrakech Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Morocco has said it may accept relief offers from other countries and will work to coordinate them if needed.
Survivors struggle to find food, water, and shelter
Survivors of Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in more than six decades struggled to find food, water, and shelter on Sunday as the search for the missing continued in remote villages, and the death toll of more than 2,100 seemed likely to rise further.
Many people spent a third night in the open after the 6.8 magnitude quake hit late on Friday. Relief workers face the challenge of reaching the worst-affected villages in the High Atlas, a rugged mountain range where settlements are often remote and many houses crumble.
The government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas and dispatched thousands of troops and police to help with the rescue and relief efforts.
Cristiano Ronaldo offers shelter to survivors
The Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has offered to shelter survivors of the devastating earthquake in Morocco at his hotel in Marrakech.
The Pestana CR7 Marrakech is a 174-room hotel located on the city’s outskirts. It is reported that the hotel is providing food, water, and shelter to those affected by the earthquake.
Ronaldo is not the only one who has offered assistance. Several nations and several Marrakesh-based organizations and businesses have also pledged to help.
The earthquake has caused widespread devastation in Morocco. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers continue to search for survivors.
The earthquake was felt across much of Morocco and Algeria. It was also supposed to be in Spain and Portugal.
AfDB’s Adesina ready to assist Morocco
Akinwumi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), has expressed on behalf of the bank his deepest condolences to the people and government of the Kingdom of Morocco.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, Adesina said that the bank is “ready to provide the much-needed support,” after the earthquake.
The earthquake which happened on Friday has claimed over 2,000 lives and destroyed infrastructure worth millions of dollars.
He added that the bank will be “prioritising support for the protection of health facilities and the provision of clean drinking water to prevent further hardships.”
He stated further, promising that the bank is “ready to contribute resources and expertise to help rebuild the affected infrastructure in the communities.”
