Rescue teams in Libya have recovered more bodies from various maritime areas in Derna, bringing the recorded death toll close to approximately 4,000 people, amidst reports of internal conflict regarding who will manage the international financial aid provided to the country. While search efforts for bodies continue at sea and on land, Libyan authorities are facing difficulties in identifying the deceased, especially as time passes and resources are scarce.
Mohamed Al-Jarih, spokesperson for the emergency committee in Derna, stated that the total number of documented deaths with the Ministry of Health has reached 3,868. He added in a press conference that the overall number has not yet been finalized and is expected to rise in the coming days.
The Libyan Attorney General's office revealed today, Monday, that the mayor of Derna and other officials have been arrested on suspicion of mismanagement and negligence that led to the collapse of two dams, causing flooding in the city two weeks ago. The office, based in Tripoli, stated that it issued orders for the pretrial detention of eight local officials regarding the dam collapse during the storm.
The office indicated that among those arrested are the mayor of Derna and a responsible official for water resources. The names of the arrested officials have not been disclosed.
Regarding the missing persons file, Al-Jarih mentioned that efforts are ongoing to collect DNA samples from the families of the missing, noting that teams will exhume the bodies of victims who were buried indiscriminately at the beginning of the crisis to collect samples and identify them.
On another note, the Libyan presidential council stated on Sunday that "the lack of a unified management for the crisis is hindering international aid efforts" to address the impacts of the floods that struck eastern Libya on September 10. This was expressed in posts by Presidential Council President Mohamed Menfi via the "X" platform, where he stated that "international support at all stages requires a specialized and unified Libyan institution that enjoys the trust of those affected." He added, "The elected authorities under a permanent constitution are the ones entitled to manage the frozen Libyan funds."
