The death toll from floods in eastern Libya is expected to rise dramatically, with 10,000 missing, according to what the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned on Tuesday.

The organization's official, Tariq Ramadan, told reporters in Geneva, "We do not have final figures" for the number of deaths currently, but he explained that "the death toll is huge and may reach thousands," while he confirmed that "the number of missing people has reached about 10,000 people."

He expressed his hope that more accurate numbers would be reached later Tuesday.

Speaking from Tunisia, Ramadan said, "The humanitarian needs far exceed the capabilities of the Libyan Red Cross and the capabilities of the government."

He continued, "For this reason, the government in the east launched an appeal for international aid, and we will launch an urgent appeal soon as well."

Storm "Daniel" struck eastern Libya on Sunday afternoon, especially the coastal towns of Jabal Akhdar (northeast) and Benghazi, where a curfew was announced and schools were closed.

Experts described Storm Daniel, which also struck parts of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria in recent days, killing at least 27 people, as "extremely severe in terms of the amount of water that fell within 24 hours."