Libya’s prosecutor general ordered the arrest of eight officials on Monday as part of his investigation into the deadly floods.
After a hurricane-strength storm hit Derna, Libya’s east port city, on September 10, a flash flood that witnesses called a tsunami broke through two ageing dams.
The prosecutor general’s office said the officials are suspected of “bad management” and incompetence, adding that they worked in water resources and dam management departments.
Global relief groups say 10,000 people may be missing after the official death toll reached 3,800 on Saturday.
Libya’s prosecutor general Al-Seddik al-Sur revealed more than a week ago that the two dams upstream from Derna dad have been breached since 1998 after a probe.
On September 16, the prosecutor claimed repairs began by a Turkish business in 2010 were interrupted after a few months due to Libya’s 2011 revolution and never resumed. These responsible parties will be held accountable.