1 killed, 15 injured as sandstorm hits eastern, southern Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya/ ISTANBUL

One person was killed and 15 others were injured on Tuesday as a sandstorm hit eastern and southern Libya, causing extensive damage in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Khaled Al-Qadhafi, an official with the East Libya-based Health Ministry, said the injuries ranged from moderate to minor, without giving further details.

A security source told Anadolu that the victim was killed when the roof of his room collapsed in Benghazi.

The East Libya-based government, for its part, declared two days off in the country’s eastern and southern regions due to the storm.

Libyan activists circulated photos and videos on social media showing large trees uprooted by the storm in Benghazi, some of which fell over citizens’ cars, in addition to the destruction of house fences and the collapse of electricity towers, causing power outages in several areas of the city.

Earlier on Tuesday, local authorities declared a curfew and the closure of all shops and commercial activities in cities of eastern and southern Libya as well as halting flights at airports until the end of the low-pressure system.