Maria Farrugia was on the phone with her husband, Nenu, when he suddenly cut and she later realised it was because the fireworks’ factory he was in blew up, killing him and two of their sons.

“I phoned him, literally, a minute before the explosion. I told him not to be late as I was fed up alone... He said he was soon done... Then he suddenly said ‘ciao’ and cut. I think he felt something,” said Mrs Farrugia, who lost almost her entire family to Sunday’s explosion at the Għarb fireworks’ factory.

Moments after that phone conversation ended, people were calling in to report the blast.

The explosion, at the family-owned Farrugia Brothers Fireworks Factory, killed Mrs Farrugia’s 67-year-old husband, her youngest son Noel, 31, and his 27-year-old wife Antinette; her eldest son Raymond, 32; and family friend Jean-Pierre Azzopardi, 27.

Her daughter’s husband, Peter Paul Micallef, 35, is battling for his life at Mater Dei Hospital after suffering serious burns.

“Look what happened to me. My family has been killed. I ended up alone. I have been widowed and so has my daughter and my daughter-in-law. We were a happy and united family,” she said through sobs.

Mrs Farrugia is angry at the fact that the Xagħra feast will go ahead as planned today given that the explosion was caused by fireworks intended for the parish’s celebrations marking the Nativity of Our Lady.

While expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, the Xagħra feast committee noted that the victims were not from the village and neither was the factory located there.

“After my husband did all that work for them (Xagħra), they should show respect towards them (the victims),” she said in a hurt tone.

On the day of the tragedy, her son Raymond and his wife were meant to celebrate the lucky birthday of their youngest daughter, Maria, who turned five. They also had an 11-year-old son Luca.

Mrs Farrugia was at her home, in Fontana, when the explosion happened. She had just been on the phone with her husband. Sometime later her daughter, Marceline, called her and told her about the explosion.

She tried calling her husband but he did not answer. The two women drove to the factory and saw the devastation.

“I couldn’t believe it. I had just been on the phone with him... I trusted my husband. I knew he was careful,” she said.

It is not clear what caused the explosion that started with one main blast, at 6.10 p.m., followed by smaller ones caused by petards ignited by heat pockets.

Mrs Farrugia later learnt that her husband’s body was found on Monday morning under a metal sheet which, she believes, he hid under when the first blast occurred.

His was the fourth victim to be found after members of the Civil Protection Department and the Red Cross found the corpses of Noel and Antinette Farrugia and of Mr Azzopardi. Mrs Farrugia denied reports that Antinette was pregnant.

Raymond Farrugia and Mr Micallef were spotted when members of the CPD noticed movement among the debris. The two men were taken to hospital where Mr Farrugia died on Monday night.

Post mortem examinations on the victims will take place tomorrow.

“It was one shock after the other. First my youngest son and his wife who just got married eight months ago. Then Jean-Pierre, who I considered as my son. Then my husband. Then my eldest son. And now my son-in-law. All shocks to my heart,” Mrs Farrugia said.

She recalled how her husband always had a passion for fireworks and this was inherited by her sons who started accompanying him to the factory when they were about 10 years old.

“I was always a bit scared. I knew it was dangerous... I used to ask him not to take our sons there but they loved going with their father... He adored our children and, now, he took them away with him,” she said through tears.

She said her husband was a good man who was loved by everyone and could not say no to people.

She could not understand why he had allowed the fireworks for the Xagħra feast to be stored at the factory. “Our store was full... They should have taken the fireworks on a barge straight to the destination where they were meant to be let off... Why increase the danger where there is danger already? These things don’t make sense.”

In a message to fireworks enthusiasts she said: “Fireworks are beautiful and without them a feast is not complete... But those unable to handle fireworks should stay away.

“People should not try and invent new things. Be very, very, very careful,” she warned.

The funeral of the Farrugia family members will he held on Saturday in Fontana where a cortege will go around the village at 3 p.m. before Mass is said at the parish church at 4 p.m.

Mr Azzopardi’s funeral will take place on Friday.

More details will be announced later.