Updated 2.05pm

A 43-year-old Żejtun man died this morning after the crane he was manoeuvring toppled over and fell into the sea at the Medserv Operations dock at the freeport in Birżebbuġa.

The incident happened at around 9.15am. Qualified first aiders provided immediate support until the man was rushed to hospital. He passed away a short while later.

A magisterial inquiry is underway, and in a company statement Medserv said that it had also launched its own internal investigation into the incident.

"This is the first grievous accident in the Company’s 40+ year history and we want to ensure we obtain a clear and detailed picture of the events that took place," the company said. 

Operations at the company have been suspended for the day, with the focus being on providing support to the victim's family as well as to distraught staff members. 

The company said that no operation was underway at the time of the incident, and that the victim was a qualified and experienced crane driver. 

OHSA appeals for safety 

In a statement, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority offered the victim's family its condolences and noted that this was the fifth workplace fatality of the year so far. 

It again called on workers and employers to prioritise workplace safety and insisted that all workplaces should undergo a safety audit to ensure any potential risks were mitigated. 

The Authority said that while it could not comment on today's incident as investigations are ongoing, the tragedy demonstrated that all workplaces, not just construction sites, could be dangerous.