Nearly a third of the 74 young people injured in Paceville on Saturday night were under the legal drinking age, it emerged yesterday as a second arrest was made in connection with the incident.

Police sources said 20 people under the age of 17 were injured when a glass banister lining the entrance stairwell at PlusOne club gave way. The injured included a 13-year girl who was released from intensive care yesterday. She is one of four people still hospitalised.

The incident raised concerns over the lax enforcement of age restrictions in Paceville.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has promised better enforcement and ordered a review of the relevant legislation to put the onus on establishments that allow underage people in.

A 17-year-old man was arrested yesterday in connection with the incident. Another, aged 18, was arrested on Monday after he allegedly sprayed a noxious gas during a fight inside the crowded club, prompting a stampede.

Fleeing club-goers appear to have become stuck on the overloaded staircase when a number of people at the bottom were pushed over and trapped by the weight of the crowd, creating a blockage.

The police could not confirm whether yesterday’s arrest was directly related to the fight inside the club or to the release of the gas.

The exact nature of the gas is not yet known but chemical experts have indicated that early suggestions of tear gas or pepper spray were unlikely.

Those affected reported an intense burning sensation in their eyes and throats and a number of people were admitted to hospital with red eyes and shortness of breath.

It is understood that investigators are now also examining the possibility that a faulty air-conditioner, smoke machine or beer pump apparatus may have caused or exacerbated the situation.

Meanwhile, it emerged that the emergency exits on the premises led directly into two adjacent clubs.

Though the Opposition has raised questions about the functionality of the exits, it appears that they were clear at the time of the incident. The vast majority of club-goers nevertheless headed for the main exit when instructed by bouncers to leave the building, leading to the crush on the exit stairwell.

Health and safety legislation dictates that emergency exits should “lead as directly as possible to a safe, open air, specifically designated area outside the premises, which shall be on the ground floor”.

However, a health and safety expert who spoke to this newspaper said the wording of the law allowed for alternative solutions due to practicality, such that the exits at the club in question were not in themselves illegal. The expert added that as such exits risked creating a bottleneck when those using the exit encountered patrons of another club they would have to be subject to a rigorous risk assessment, which would include mathematical calculations of the number of people likely to use them.

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