Investigations have begun into potential negligence surrounding two Libyan dam collapses, which contributed to a devastating flood that has killed more than 11,000 people.
Key points:
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11,300 people are confirmed dead after deadly flooding in Derna
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Libya’s top prosecutor said investigations would delve into the allocation of maintenance funds of two dams that collapsed
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A government head has said Derna will be isolate amid fears of diseases spreading
Heavy rains due to Mediterranean storm Daniel caused deadly flooding across eastern Libya last week.
The floods overwhelmed two dams, sending a wall of water several metres high through the centre of Derna, where more than 10,000 people are still missing, according to the Libyan Red Crescent.
The organisation has confirmed 11,300 deaths so far, with rescuers still searching through mud and hollowed-out buildings.
On Friday local time, Libya’s General Prosecutor Al-Sediq Al-Sour said prosecutors would investigate the collapse of the two dams as well as the allocation of maintenance funds.
The dams were build in the 1970s.
Mr Al-Sour said prosecutors would investigate local authorities in the city, as well as previous governments.
“I reassure citizens that whoever made mistakes or negligence, prosecutors will certainly take firm measures, file a criminal case against him and send him to trial,” he said.
It is unclear how such an investigation can be carried out in the North African country, which plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.
For most of the past decade, Libya has been split between rival administrations — one in the east, the other in the west — each backed by powerful militias and international patrons.
One result has been the neglect of crucial infrastructure.
No warning about dam collapse
Derna officials had warned the public about the coming storm and ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas, fearing a surge from the sea.
But there was no warning about the dams, which collapsed early Monday as most residents were asleep in their homes.
A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the two dams had not been maintained despite an allocation of more than $2USD million ($3.1 million) for that purpose in 2012 and 2013.
A Turkish firm was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintenance on the two dams and build another dam in between.
The firm, Arsel Construction Company Limited, said on its website it completed its work in November 2012.
It did not respond to an email from Associate Press seeking further comment.
Plans to isolate Derna amid disease outbreak
Libya’s eastern-based government head Osama Hamad said they would isolate Derna from the rest of the nation amid fears of waterborne diseases spreading.
“There might be an isolation of the affected areas in Derna, for fears of diseases or epidemics spreading,” he said Friday local time.
“These are precautionary measures that we have taken today and we will start implementing tomorrow, but we don’t want people to worry about that, because this is just a precautionary routine measure, out of worry for the people and their safety.”
Head of Libya’s centre for combating diseases Haider al-Saeih said at least 150 people had suffered from diarrhoea after drinking contaminated water in Derna.
He urged residents to only drink bottled water, which is being shipped in as part of relief efforts.
Meanwhile, Derna’s Wahda Hospital head Mohammad al-Qabisi said there were fears waterborne diseases would spread, but no cholera had been recorded so far.
Libyan authorities have already restricted access to the flooded city to make it easier to search for bodies.
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