Update 10 - Gharb explosion, search for fourth man suspended
Rescuers this evening suspended their search for a fourth man missing in the ruins of a fireworks factory which blew up in Gharb in the afternoon.
Th search was suspended at 8 p.m. and will resume early tomorrow.
Three other men were found dead earlier in the evening. They still have to be identified.
Sniffer dogs were flown to Gozo to help in the search, which continued into the evening under floodlights.
The dead or missing are factory owner Gorg Gatt, Mario Gauci, Peppi Cini and Brian Portelli, the youngest of them at 23. His distraught parents were on the scene and later needed to be taken to hospital for treatment for shock.
The factory Qalb ta’ Gesu, was flattened by three explosions, the first two in rapid succession at about 2.45 p.m. and the third some 30 minutes later as rescuers were starting their search. Some were hurt by stones hurled by the blast. None of their injuries are serious.
The first blasts were heard as far away as Zejtun in Malta. The third explosion, although less powerful, was also heard in Selmun.
The second blast, by far the most powerful, produced a huge mushroom cloud.
Photographer Rene Rossignaud was at Ta’ Pinu Church, on the outskirts of Gharb, when the first explosions were heard.
“The explosions were huge,” he told timesofmalta.com.
“Two people started crying outside the church, others went inside to pray”
He said he got on his bike and drove to the scene of devastation.
On the scene, he saw boulders which were thrown 150 metres from the blast site and four cars were destroyed by fire – raising fears that there were at least four people inside the factory.
A fireworks store located not more than 40 metres from the blast, survived intact although the door was blown in. (See picture below)
Two fire engines and two ambulances arrived after a short while, but initially could not approach the area as more petards exploded.
Rescuers from the Civil Protection Department as well as a number of soldiers also arrived and started the dangerous search for survivors.
They were later assisted by sniffer dogs but the gathering darkness made the operation even more complex.
Volunteers from the Emergency Rescue Corps (ERRC) assisted the authorities.
The scene of this afternoon's blasts is not far from the site of an explosion in another fireworks factory in September 2010 which killed six people.
VIDEO - Rene Rossignaud, Paul Spiteri Lucas.
The explosion crater and two of the four cars destroyed by the blast - Photo Rene Rossignaud mynews@timesofmalta.com
Photo Rene Rossignaud
Picture Andrea Muscat - mynews@timesofmalta.com
Picture - Anthony Grech - mynews@timesofmalta.com
Picture Stephen Buttigieg - mynews@timesofmalta.com
Picture Ana de Barro - mynews@timesofmalta.com
Daniel Hughes - mynews@timesofmalta.comPicture - mynews@timesofmalta.com
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43 Comments
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M Caruana
Nov 7th 2012, 10:02
As tragic a death as this is, they left this world doing what they loved!
Marju we will remember your sunny character and hope you join your brother in heaven who left this world only a few weeks ago too! My thoughts & prayers are with you and God give courage to all their families and loved ones. May their souls rest in peace in heaven above, where the fireworks they loved, soar high.
Clint Muscat
Nov 5th 2012, 12:57
The deaths of scuba diving accidents are comparable sometimes even higher that that of pyrotechnic accidents. So ban scuba diving? All people should have freedom to evaluate and choose wisely the risks they take. Pyrotechnics is the most thing we Maltese are good at on an international level. I am sure the victims were as passionate to die for their favorite hobby.
Franco Abela
Nov 5th 2012, 10:27
God help their families.
ON ANOTHER NOTE - THIS SHOWS HOW UNSAFE IT IS TO ENJOY A WALK IN OUR COUNTRYSIDE!
N Attard
Nov 5th 2012, 08:56
Ma nitghallmu qatt. Issa quddiesa, funeral, jum ta luttu, hafna biki u nistennew tragedja ohra tasal bhas soltu.
Mbasta kellhom jittiehdu passi wara it tragedja ta qabilha sentejn ilu fl istess lokalita'.
Awtoritajiet ghazzenin u tajba biss ghall paroli fil vojt u biex jippuppaw sidirhom waqt li jifthu xi triq gdida jew gnien. RIP lill dawn il vittmi.
Giovanni Rizzo
Nov 5th 2012, 08:52
Biex jaghtu pjacir lill poplu bil-loghob tan-nar tiswilhom hajjithom.
Il-Mulej jieqaf maghhom.imsieken il-familji u l-hbieb taghhom.RIP.
william cauchi
Nov 5th 2012, 08:50
A bridge too far. An accident too many.
A TOM report also says that fireworks explosives are being driven from a storage in Salini to Lija. Good God, are we going completely bonkers.
Don't tell me, u ajma, why this scaremongering. But who us responsible finally? The buck stops at the authorities, the police, the Church. If a dear one is injured or killed I will sue them for all they have.
Alexander George Farrugia
Nov 4th 2012, 23:36
The problem in these situations is that unfortunately, many-a-time, there are no witnesses to reveal what happened. How about installing cameras which relay video to a remote location inside the "kmamar"? Granted, they won't save the lives of those directly involved, but they might do the same job black boxes do in air-crashes...give the experts hints as to what happened & learn from them.
Christina Hayes
Nov 4th 2012, 22:21
May the families find peace and I hope they r.i.p
Maria Camilleri
Nov 4th 2012, 22:02
R.I.P Brian...i will never forget your sky blue eyes andyour beautiful smile....i was lucky to get to know you evenif it was for just a short period of time!I will never forget you
Joseph N. Attard
Nov 4th 2012, 21:50
If there is anybody who should have done anything to prevent such accidents, and he/they did not do it for any reason whatsoever, they should be feeling pretty guilty now. If this is really the situation, for heaven's sake, act NOW so that we do not have any more such preventable tragedies.
Paul Caruana
Nov 4th 2012, 20:50
Now is not the time for recriminations, but only for mourning the dead. Eventually however, we have to realize that the current situation is unacceptable.
Franco Farrugia
Nov 4th 2012, 22:04
Mr Caruana, that's what some people always say ... that 'now' is not the time to say, this, that and the other.
Please, when is 'the time' for it?
Christian Sciberras
Nov 22nd 2012, 17:38
After the next accident, obviously!
Charles Massa
Nov 4th 2012, 19:40
Jiddispjacina ghal vitmi u ghal familji u hbieb taghhom. Imma dawn id disgrazzji qieghdin isiru ta spiss u hemm bzonn isir xi haga
John Azzopoardi
Nov 4th 2012, 19:36
Again....................May they rest in peace.
Mr Adrian Zahra
Nov 4th 2012, 19:28
And yet the aurhorites still do not implement what is written black on white in the report by the investigation board. BAN CHLORATES THAT IS THE ONE AND ONLY SOLUTION.
Pamela Hansen
Nov 4th 2012, 19:16
What happened to the safety measures that were supposed to come into force. Following the recommendations after the last tragedy.
Joe Grech
Nov 5th 2012, 02:55
Ms. Hansen, surely as a correspondent and commentator you must be aware that this is Malta...with an inefficient and lazy administration which comes up with all sorts of ideas but then just does not put them into practice. Most of our politicians declare that they have our welfare very much to heart but incidents like this latest tragedy gives them the lie!
Karl Xuereb
Nov 4th 2012, 19:01
RIP all those who died you will be missed
George Mifsud
Nov 4th 2012, 18:26
Why are you blaming such people??Like they are some people from an other world!!Accidents can happen everywhere and with an sort of thing,when it is with fireworks it makes more big news.We had much more terriffic accidents,involving constructions,vehicles,no accident is done on purpose,and for sure fireworks accidents are not the least.
May God be with these people and we should support them.
Maria Brincat
Nov 4th 2012, 23:27
Mr.Mifsud is right.
Ramon Casha
Nov 4th 2012, 18:23
IF, after this explosion and tragic loss, the only thing that is done is a big memorial service, several letters saying that something should be done, and then everything is business as usual within a few days, then the next fatal explosion is not a matter of "if", but "when".
Mr Nathan zammit
Nov 4th 2012, 18:22
all 3 explosions heard from bugibba!!! may god be with their families
Joseph Mifsud
Nov 4th 2012, 18:01
we heard the explosion from buskett.
Norbert Grima
Nov 4th 2012, 17:19
As viewed from Fanal tal-Gordan
www.flickr.com/photos/norby85/8154142756/in/photostream
Mr C. Tabone
Nov 4th 2012, 17:10
I happened to be on ta' Dbiegi with my family and my camera pointing in that exact direction as the explosion went off. Truly shocking! Follow the link for the photos
99141486@N00/" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/99141486@N00/
S. Azzopardi
Nov 4th 2012, 17:00
Let us pray for all those involved. May they be found safe and sound.
Norbert Grima
Nov 4th 2012, 16:48
Another tragic day. May God be with all those involved
http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/norby85/8154136396/
Michael Busuttil
Nov 4th 2012, 16:44
I hope everyone is ok. God bless.
Carmel Camilleri
Nov 4th 2012, 15:47
Bhalissa qieghed qrib fejn sehh l-incident ghad hawn xi spluzjonijiet. Nahseb li kien hemm xi nies fil kamra tan-nar ghaliex ghawn xi karozzi qrib fejn sehh l-incident.
Alfred Spiteri
Nov 4th 2012, 15:46
I hope everyone in the factory got out safely
M Mamo
Nov 4th 2012, 15:33
heard both explosions from Dingli
Elizabeth Bugeja
Nov 4th 2012, 15:25
Hope all is ok and that there are no injuries...
R. Cuschieri
Nov 4th 2012, 15:17
Two strong subsequent explosions and a mushroom cloud in the direction of San Dimitri, where one of the fireworks factories in the outskirts of Gharb operate.
Jacob Portelli
Nov 4th 2012, 15:16
I heard this from fontana, hope none is injured. Already a very sad day with the tragic loss this morning
Christina Hayes
Nov 4th 2012, 22:20
3 men are dead and the fourth is missing :(
tony abela
Nov 4th 2012, 15:07
The blast was heard at Bulebell area Zejtun
Jennifer Cosaitis
Nov 4th 2012, 15:53
Also heard in Birkirkara. Hoping no one is injured!
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