Libya floods: Experts warned about Derna dams for nearly 40 years, state prosecutor saysExperts warned about the structural integrity of the Derna dams for almost 40 years, a Libyan state prosecutor said, as the search continues for bodies after last week's devastating floods. Concerns were first raised in 1986 after the dams - built by a Yugoslavian construction company in the 1970s - suffered major damage after a severe storm. A study commissioned by the Libyan government a decade later revealed their structures contained cracks and fissures, according to the country's general prosecutor, Al-Sediq Al-Sour. In 2007, the Turkish firm Arsel Construction Company was contracted to maintain the two dams and to build a third. Many foreign companies fled Libya after the NATO-backed uprising and civil war in 2011 in which long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi was toppled.

Source: Libya Today August 04, 2024 16:19 UTC