The Qala council said this afternoon that the police commissioner had confirmed that other bays besides Hondoq will be used for the unloading of fireworks.

This morning, the council said it could no longer accept a  situation where all fireworks shipped to Gozo from Malta was unloaded at Hondoq ir-Rummien and then transported through the village.

It insisted that the fireworks should be unloaded in a port which was closest to the destination of the fireworks, that reducing dangerous land transport.

It also said that whenever fireworks were unloaded at Hondoq, it should be given notice so that it could warn the residents. 

There are fears in Gozo that more fireworks than usual would have to be brought from Malta this year after a number of explosions in Gozo  destroyed fireworks factories and killed many of Gozo's fireworks manufacturers.

Today's appeal follows another appeal made by the council in September.

At the time, the deputy mayor had said that practically every week throughout the festa season, villagers had to watch helplessly as truckloads of fireworks rumbled through their streets. 

“This is not a one-off situation but happens almost every week throughout most of summer. All Gozo’s fireworks are unloaded at Ħondoq, the island’s eastern harbour, then transported on roads of varying quality to all the villages, including San Lawrenz at the opposite end of the island,” he said.

Mr Paul Buttigieg said fireworks should be unloaded at bays closer to their end destination, such as Dwejra for the Għarb feast, Qbajjar for the Żebbug feast, Mġarr ix-Xini for the Sannat feast and Xatt l-Aħmar for the Għajnsielem feast.