Libyan authorities launched an investigation into the collapse of two dams that produced a devastating flood in a coastal city on Saturday, nearly a week after the downpour killed over 11,000 people.
Heavy rains brought on by a Mediterranean storm Last weekend, Daniel triggered devastating flooding in eastern Libya. The floodwaters breached two dams, unleashing a wall of water several meters high into the heart of Derna, demolishing entire homes and carrying thousands out to sea.
According to the Libyan Red Crescent, almost 10,000 individuals are missing. Six days later, searchers are still seeking for dead and any survivors amid the muck and hollowed-out buildings. So far, the Red Crescent has documented 11,300 deaths.
Libya’s General Prosecutor, al-Sediq al-Sour, said that prosecutors would investigate the collapse of the two dams, which were built in the 1970s, as well as the allocation of maintenance funds. He said prosecutors would investigate local authorities in the city, as well as previous governments.
It’s 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, even as climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent and severe.
Local officials in the city had warned the public about the coming storm and last Saturday ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas in Derna, 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 hadn’t been maintained despite the allocation of more than $2 million for that purpose in 2012 and 2013.
Libyan officials have blocked entry to the flooded city to allow searchers to more easily sift through the mud and hollowed-out structures for the more than 10,000 people still missing. Many victims were claimed to have been buried behind rubble or washed into the Mediterranean Sea.
Other towns in eastern Libya were hit by the storm, including Bayda, Susa, Marj, and Shahatt. Tens of thousands of people in the region have been displaced and have sought refuge in schools and other government buildings.
Among those dead were dozens of foreigners, including individuals fleeing war and upheaval elsewhere in the region.
Others had arrived to Libya to work or were passing through on their way to Europe.
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