The Red Crescent has so far confirmed that 11,300 people have died
The Libyan authorities have opened an investigation into the collapse of two dams that caused devastating floods in Libya, especially in the city of Derna, where bodies are still being recovered, with more than 11,000 people dead.
Libyan Attorney General Al-Siddiq Al-Sur said that the Public Prosecution will investigate the collapse of the two dams that were built in the 1970s, as well as allocating funds for their maintenance, in addition to investigating the local situation. Derna city authorities and previous governments.
He said in a press conference in the city of Derna, according to what was reported, “I assure citizens that whoever commits a mistake or negligence, the Public Prosecution will take strict measures and will file a criminal case against them and bring them to trial.” Local press today.
However, it is not yet clear how such an investigation could be conducted in the North African country, which descended into chaos after the NATO-backed uprising that ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
For most of the past decade, Libya has been divided between rival administrations – one in the east, one in the west – each supported by powerful militias and international patrons.
One result has been the abandonment of critical infrastructure, even as climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent and intense.
Jalel Harchaoui, an expert on Libyan affairs at the London-based Royal United Institute, said the investigation could represent a “unique challenge” for judicial authorities and could include the highest leadership in eastern and western Libya, where two parallel governments coexist.
Since 2014, eastern Libya has been under the control of General Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army. A rival government, based in the capital, Tripoli, controls most of the national funds and oversees infrastructure projects, with neither tolerating dissent.
“The main challenge for a comprehensive investigation will relate to the behavior of Haftar’s coalition, and its historical lack of accountability in general may hinder discovering the truth,” Harchaoui said.
Heavy rains caused by Mediterranean Storm Daniel caused devastating floods in eastern Libya last weekend, with two dams collapsing, causing a wall of water several meters high to cross the center of the city of Derna, destroying entire neighborhoods and dragging people into… the sea.
“More than 10,000 people are missing,” according to Libyan Red Crescent figures cited by the AP. Six days later, rescue and search teams continue to dig through the mud and rubble of buildings, searching for bodies and possible survivors.
The Red Crescent has so far confirmed that 11,300 people have died.
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