Libya’s chief prosecutor is launching an investigation into the collapse of two dams in the coastal city of Derna, which resulted in massive floods that destroyed the city and claimed over 11,000 lives.
General Prosecutor al-Sediq al-Sour said that the investigation will scrutinize the dams’ maintenance funds, as well as local authorities and previous governments, according to international reports.
“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 in a press conference.
It remains unclear how much of an investigation can be carried out with the deep divide that Libya has experienced since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, as the North African country has been split between two rival governments.
Among other repercussions, the divide has caused much of the country’s infrastructure to fall behind, which proved disastrous over the past week when Storm Daniel struck.
Heavy rains caused by the storm, which experts have warned was partially caused by climate change, resulted in deadly flooding that has taken over 11,000 lives so far with more than 10,000 others still missing.
As rescue efforts continue, health experts are also fearing possible endemic diseases and other health risks due to the unrecovered bodies buried below the rubble.
