The Guardian view on Derna’s flood tragedy: Libya’s leaders have enjoyed impunity for too long

Ruined buildings in the aftermath of the Derna floods. ‘Many fear that political leaders will exploit the crisis to enrich themselves and delay elections.’ Photograph: Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters

To count the thousands killed by the floods in the eastern Libyan city of Derna does not truly help us grasp their loss. “Those people are not numbers at all … Those people are love stories, friendships, dreams, ambitions ... are people who had names,” Johr Ali, a journalist from the city, told the Guardian’s Today in Focus podcast.

Libyan authorities do not want people to focus on those victims, or why they died. Global heating made the torrential rain that hit Libya 50 times more likely, scientists say. But it was the collapse of dams and failure to evacuate that multiplied this disaster. Survivors want to know why warnings about the structures were ignored and what happened to millions of dollars allocated for their maintenance. But on Tuesday, after furious residents protested, officials blocked foreign journalists from entering the city and local media were reportedly detained. Telephone and internet links were cut.