Libyan Attorney General Al-Siddiq Al-Sour stated Saturday that maintenance work on two dams near the flood-ravaged city of Derna was initiated but never completed, contributing to their collapse last week.
In a televised interview, Al-Sour revealed that some repair work on the dams was undertaken in 2010. However, a 2003 assessment by a Swiss engineering firm recommended comprehensive maintenance and construction of a third dam near Derna, warnings that went unheeded by officials.
“The maintenance was clearly inadequate,” Al-Sour acknowledged. “The recommendations to improve the dam infrastructure were ignored.”
Catastrophic flooding from the dam collapses has left thousands dead and missing in Derna after Storm Daniel battered Libya’s eastern region. According to the Attorney General, over 800 buildings occupied by government agencies and private businesses have been destroyed in the Mediterranean port city.
Al-Sour disclosed that his office is coordinating with the Interior and Health Ministries to identify victims and determine the scale of the disaster.
Earlier on Saturday, Libyan Presidential Council head Mohamed Al-Menfi demanded the Attorney General launch an investigation into the dam collapses and hold accountable officials who acted negligently.