Kurt Bugeja Coster, Christian Peregin
Three dead in Għarb fireworks explosion
Search for factory owner expected to continue this morning
A couple who were married only last December and a 27-year-old man died in a fireworks factory explosion in Gozo yesterday. An elderly man is unaccounted for and the search for him, called off as darkness fell, is expected to continue this morning.
The blast at Ta’ Nenu Fireworks Factory, in the limits of the small village of Għarb, left two other men in a critical condition, one of them reported to have suffered 80 per cent burns.
The dead are Noel, 31, and Antoinette Farrugia, 27, from Fontana, and Jean-Pierre Azzopardi from Żebbuġ, Gozo. Mrs Farrugia is believed to be the first female casualty of a fireworks factory blast. Her parents left for Sicily yesterday morning.
The man who is still missing is factory owner Nenu Farrugia, Noel’s father. Raymond Farrugia, 32, another member of the Farrugia family, and Paul Micallef, 35, Nenu Farrugia’s son-in-law, were badly burnt and flown to Mater Dei Hospital for treatment.
Three explosions were heard at about 6.10 p.m. with people from all over Gozo and the northernmost parts of Malta saying they felt what seemed like an earthquake and saw a huge mushroom cloud of smoke.
The incident was the eighth fireworks explosion in the past 12 months. It brings the total number of fireworks deaths up to seven since the beginning of this year.
Second blast in five years
The fireworks that exploded yesterday, worth about €12,000, originated from the Għaxaq Fireworks Factory and were being transported by several trucks which set off on a barge to Gozo at 4 a.m. yesterday. They were being prepared for Wednesday’s feast in Xagħra.
This was the second time in five years that the fireworks factory in Għarb exploded. In 2005, eight of 10 rooms were wiped out. Luckily, no one was injured then. Only three years after the factory was rebuilt, tragedy struck again, particularly for the Farrugia family.
The Armed Forces of Malta said technicians from the Explosives Ordnance Disposal of 3 Regiment were flown by helicopter on the site of the explosion to render the area safe and assist in the search of missing individuals and in the ongoing investigations on the cause of the explosion.
People on site said the area was covered in debris, which was flung hundreds of metres away from the factory. The debris included the chassis and bumpers of various trucks.
Hours after the explosion occurred, some isolated fires could be seen and small blasts heard.
Magistrate Paul Coppini has appointed a number of experts to assist him in an inquiry into the blast.
Explosions in past 12 months
September 2009 – Explosions at Għaxaq St Joseph factory and a fireworks barge in Balluta Bay but no one was injured.
October 2009 – Explosion at Santa Maria factory in Bidnija; one man succumbs to injuries in December.
February 2010 – Two men die in an explosion at St Sebastian fireworks factory in Qormi.
April 2010 – Two escape unhurt when San Bartolomeo factory explodes in Għargħur.
May 2010 – One man dies at St Catherine’s fireworks factory in Marsaxlokk.
August 2010 – One man dies at the August 15 fireworks factory in Mosta.
September 2010 – Għarb fireworks factory explodes, three dead, one missing and two injured.
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david camilleri
Sep 6th 2010, 20:35
Condolences must first go to the families of the dead and prayers for those still fighting for their lives. However I cannot but disagree on the appointment of people who have been involved in the practices to-date (of working fireworks in Malta) to be on the new investigatory board. How can a regulatory body which was entrusted with the institution of safety proceedures that has 5 explosions with 8 people dead on the conscience in this year alone,be entrusted again; I would have assumed that the board should be made to resign. It seems the only work that they were assigned was the checking of the buildings; perhaps someone can explain how a pregnant woman was allowed to be even in the vicinity of the factory. I can only explain this with the very relaxed and amateurish manner in which regulations, inspections and enforcements are carried out. This reminds me of the situation when I had to report contractors who continued to get their children to work on building sites. However the frequency of these accidents are all indicative of poor proceedures for sourcing / testing of material, work practices for manufacturing / storage / transportation of explosive material.
Gerry Cowie
Sep 6th 2010, 19:07
Please don't tell me this is just an occupational hazard accepted by all those who have anything to do with either the manufacture and/or storage of fireworks and that banning unsafe practices will mean loss of jobs etc etc! How many more deaths?
Lino Busuttil
Sep 6th 2010, 13:30
Our condolences to the families and friends involved. It is a sad day for Malta and Gozo to be experiencing this yet again. Some expects need to be evaluated by the authorities in this case. Is this not a chain of events linked to a common product? Where from do the supplies of the raw material used for such explosives comes from?Has there been any change or shift in the exporting country? Are roads being closed when these trucks where driven amognst traffic carrying unsespecting families. This material should not explode when in this state(ready for the festa) but now it is exploding what measures are the Police taking to protect us who has nothing to do with fireworks but could be driving near one of these trucks!
Carmelo Portelli
Sep 6th 2010, 12:09
I have said this before and will say it again... STOP PLAYING WITH FIREWORKS... How many more people must die before the government does something about this. I am sorry for the loss of these three lives but it could have been worst... imagine if innocent people were walking by not knowing where they were... boom! They wouldn't know what hit them. For example I myself don't know where these fireworks sheds are. These people are AMATURES and hold no formal qualifications to carry out the work they are doing, whilst we all enjoy the display at the "Festa" how many more must die before formal training, rules and enforcement of them are put in place. Train the people, make safety rules and enforce them; heavy fines of upwards of 50,000 Euros will put most people off. I am sorry for the needless loss of life and my thoughts are with the families of the victims.