A Libyan court gives 12 officials prison sentences over last year’s deadly flooding

Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — A court in Libya has sentenced 12 current and former officials to terms of up to 27 years in prison over their involvement in the collapse of two dams last year that sent a wall of water several meters high through the center of a coastal city. Thousands of people died. The Derna Criminal Court convicted the officials of mismanagement, negligence and mistakes that contributed to the disaster. Sunday’s verdict could be appealed before a higher court. The two dams outside the city of Derna broke up on Sept. 11 after they were overwhelmed by Storm Daniel, which caused heavy rain across eastern Libya. The failure of the structures inundated as much as a quarter of the city, destroying entire neighborhoods and sweeping people out to sea.