Authorities in Libya have launched an investigation to into whether human failings were to blame for thousands of deaths. Sharing a post on X, Mohamed al-Menfi, head of the three-member council that acts as the presidency in Libya's internationally recognised government, said the council asked the attorney general to investigate the disaster.
Thousands of people have been displaced due to the floods and volunteers from from Misrata, Tripoli and Benghazi were distributing clothes and food packages on Wednesday. "We said to ourselves there would surely be a shortage of working hands to load, unload, drive or do anything else," said Elias al-Khabouli, a volunteer from the western city of Zawiya told Reuters.
Derna was devastated by a flood this week when storm waters overwhelmed two dams sending a torrent through the city centre. The disaster comes amid political chaos in Libya which has halted infrastructure investment.
On Thursday, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said deaths could have been averted if the country had a functional weather service able to issue warnings.
"If they would have been a normally operating meteorological service, they could have issued a warnings," WMO chief Petteri Taalas told reporters.