Current:Home > reviewsLibya’s top prosecutor says 8 officials jailed as part of investigation into dams’ deadly collapse -Infinite Profit Zone
Libya’s top prosecutor says 8 officials jailed as part of investigation into dams’ deadly collapse
View
Date:2025-04-26 11:07:53
CAIRO (AP) — Libya’s chief prosecutor said Monday he ordered the detention of eight current and former officials pending his investigation into the collapse of two dams earlier this month, a disaster that sent a wall of water several meters high through the center of a coastal city and left thousands of people dead.
The two dams outside the city of Derna broke up on Sep. 11 after they were overwhelmed by Storm Daniel, which caused heavy rain across eastern Libya. The failure of the structures inundated as much as a quarter of the city, officials have said, destroying entire neighborhoods and sweeping people out to sea.
Government officials and aid agencies have given estimated death tolls ranging from more than 4,000 to over 11,000. The bodies of many of the people killed still are under rubble or in the Mediterranean, according to search teams.
A statement by the office of General Prosecutor al-Sidiq al-Sour said prosecutors on Sunday questioned seven former and current officials with the Water Resources Authority and the Dams Management Authority over allegations that mismanagement, negligence and mistakes contributed to the disaster.
Derna Mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi, who was sacked after the disaster, was also questioned, the statement said.
Prosecutors ordered the eight to be jailed pending the investigation, the statement added.
The dams were built by a Yugoslav construction company in the 1970s above Wadi Derna, a river valley which divides the city. They were meant to protect the city from flash floods, which are not uncommon in the area. The dams were not maintained for decades, despite warnings by scientists that they may burst.
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.
A Turkish firm was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintenance on the two dams and to build a third one in between them. The firm, Arsel Construction Company Ltd., said on its website that it completed its work in November 2012. It didn’t respond to an email seeking further comment.
Two weeks on, local and international teams were still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings, looking for bodies. They also combing the Mediterranean off Derna, searching for boding swept away in the floods.
The floods have left as many as a third of Derna’s housing and infrastructure damaged, according to the U.N.’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. Authorities have evacuated the most impacted part of the city, leaving only search and ambulance teams, OCHA said.
The World Health Organization says more than 4,000 deaths have been registered dead, including foreigners, but a previous death toll given by the head of Libya’s Red Crescent was at 11,300. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says at least 9,000 people are still missing.
The storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Marj and Shahatt. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in the region and took shelter in schools and other government buildings.
The questioning and jailing of officials were a first crucial step by the chief prosecutor in his investigation which is likely to face daunting challenges due to the country’s yearslong division.
Since 2014, eastern Libya has been under the control of Gen. Khalifa Hifter and his self-styled Libyan National Army. A rival government, based in the capital, Tripoli, controls most national funds and oversees infrastructure projects. Neither tolerates dissent.
The Supreme Council of State, an advisory body based in Tripoli, has called for a “thorough international investigation,” echoing a call by many residents across Libya. Such call mirrors the deep mistrust in state institutions.
veryGood! (18349)
Related
- Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
- Texas Cities Set Temperature Records in Unremitting Heat Wave
- Why Jackie Kennedy Had a Problem With Madonna During Her Brief Romance With JFK Jr.
- What is AI? Experts weigh in
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Constance Wu Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby No. 2
- Robin Thicke's Fiancée April Love Geary Fires Back at Haters Who Criticize Her Photos
- Megan Fox Steps Out in Risqué Look for Movie Date With Machine Gun Kelly
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- How Barbie's Signature Pink Is a Symbol for Strength and Empowerment
Ranking
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Hailey Bieber Will Influence You to Try TikTok's Viral Latte Makeup Trend
- Allow Harry Styles to Take You to the Circus in Must-See Daylight Music Video
- Love Is Blind’s Bartise Bowden Debuts Romance With Cait Vanderberry
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- K-9 officer put on leave after police dog attacks surrendering suspect
- 3 injured in shooting outside Philadelphia bar, police say
- Jon Gosselin Has “No Idea” Why He’s Estranged From His Kids
Recommendation
Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
How Dance Moms Trauma Helped Inspire Kalani Hilliker's Mental Health Journey
Jersey Shore’s Snooki Gets Candid on Her Weight Struggles in Message to Body Shamers
Shop Deals on Activewear as Low as $9 at Nordstrom Clear the Rack Sale: Nike, Adidas, Skechers & More
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
Influencer Christine Tran Ferguson Sends Message to Supporters After Death of 15-Month-Old Son
Beyoncé's New Perfume Will Have You Feeling Crazy in Love
Q&A: Heather McTeer Toney Reflects on the Ongoing Struggle for Environmental Justice in America