Libyan mayor detained in relation to thousand deaths in fatal floods

The mayor of Derna, a city in Libya that was severely damaged by flooding, has been taken into custody by officials in connection with the disaster.

Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi was one of the many officials who were accused of being involved in a tragic event that caused the death of many people in eastern Libya this month.

Angry people in Derna set fire to the mayor’s house because they were protesting.

The attorney general’s office, located in the main city of Tripoli, said on Monday that the officials were in charge of taking care of the country’s dam buildings. Because of this, the office has started a criminal case against them.

Some of the officials, like Mr. al-Ghaithi, have already been arrested before the trial.

On Monday, the attorney general’s office said that the officials did many things wrong. They didn’t use the money properly to take care of the dams. This caused the dams to burst and the floods in Derna happened.

His office also said that the officials did not take proper care and precautions, which caused people to die and Libya to lose a lot of money because of the floods.

Mr al-Ghaithi has also been accused of using his power in a harmful way.

Libya is split into two opposing governments – one in the east and one in the west. The attorney general is in Tripoli, which is in the west. It is uncertain if he has the power to order arrests in the eastern part.

On Sunday, the government in the east announced that 3,868 people have died due to the floods.

The lawyer in charge of the government’s legal affairs said they are still investigating other officials and there might be more people getting arrested as a result.