ALBAWABA - The Libyan Public Prosecution ordered the arrest of multiple officials on Monday in connection with the two-week-old flash flood and storm that ravaged the Libyan coastal city of Derna, killing thousands.
The Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that it was decided to arrest 16 officials in charge of managing the country's dam facilities, 6 officials from the Water Resources Authority, and the mayor of Derna "for deviating from the obligations of the mandate of managing funds allocated for the reconstruction and development of the city."
Official reports say that the death toll from a flash flood that smashed through two old dams upstream of Derna surpassed 3,800. Meanwhile, the UN reports say that the death toll has surpassed the 10,000 mark.
According to the statement, investigators finished conducting the initial interrogations and recommended detaining the responsible in pre-trial detention. They went on to request the necessary investigation into the rest of those responsible for the Derna flood incident, Arab News reported.
On September 11, Storm Daniel rampaged through Libya thousands of Libyans in a state of shock and sadness, as a number of cities suffered from the catastrophic aftermath of the storm.
Spokesperson for the Libyan National Army (LNA) Ahmed Mismari said in a televised press conference earlier yesterday that "the disaster came after dams above Derna had collapsed, sweeping whole neighborhoods with their residents into the sea".
Official reports said that 25% of the city of Derna had completely perished, aerial photos and videos were posted online showing the severe damage the city suffered, as complete neighbourhoods were washed into the sea with almost no hope of retrieving the bodies of those who drifted into the sea.
