Libya Court Sentences Officials Over Dam Collapse Disaster

A court in Libya sentenced 12 officials to prison terms of up to 27 years for their roles in the collapse of two dams in Derna, which resulted in thousands of deaths. The dams, overwhelmed by Storm Daniel, sent a devastating wall of water through the city. Mismanagement and negligence were cited as key factors.

A court in Libya has sentenced 12 current and former officials to prison terms of up to 27 years for their roles in the collapse of two dams last year, resulting in thousands of deaths. The catastrophe, which struck the coastal city of Derna, was due to Storm Daniel's heavy rains overwhelming the dams.

The Derna Criminal Court cited mismanagement, negligence, and mistakes by the officials responsible for the country's dams as critical factors contributing to the disaster. Defendants received sentences ranging from nine to 27 years, with three ordered to return money obtained from illicit gains.

The verdict, which could still be appealed, comes after Libya's east has been controlled by Gen. Khalifa Hifter amid ongoing instability since the 2011 ousting of Moammar Gadhafi. The dams, built in the 1970s and neglected over decades, had been flagged for risks by scientists.

(With inputs from agencies.)