Libya: Derna flooding disaster could have been avoided, experts conclude

The results of the judicial inquiry into the Derna disaster in Libya show that the dams that gave way last September were fragile.

Libya’s Attorney General Al-Siddiq Al-Sour on Sunday said at least 25 experts were "unanaminous in their assesment that negligence led to the disaster". 

The results published last week said that the disaster could have been avoided if the recommendations made since 2003 to maintain these dams and build a third had been applied.

Massive flooding devastated much of the northeastern Libyan city on September 10 and 11, leaving 4,540 people dead, according to official figures.

The torrent of water washed away neighborhoods and damaged critical sewage and water infrastructure that has yet to be repaired according to the UN which also said at the time most of the deaths could have been “avoided”.

More than 30,000 people were displaced in Derna, and nearly a million people were affected by the floods acording to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).