Some 25 people, including directors of PlusOne club in Paceville, are expected to appear in court on Friday to face charges over November’s incident which left scores injured, the Times of Malta has learnt.
Sources close to the investigations said charges were issued after a magisterial inquiry found, among other things, that regulations banning the presence of underage people at entertainment clubs were not adequately enforced.
The inquiry concluded that at the time of the incident there were at least 450 people inside, more than double the capacity.
A total of 74 people, including minors, were injured when the glass banister outside the main door shattered during a mass exit on November 14.
At the time of the incident there were at least 450 people inside, more than double the capacity
The sources said the accused, including underage patrons, would appear at a special sitting presided over by Magistrate Ian Farrugia.
They said the club’s directors and managers were expected to be charged with failing to ensure adequate health and safety measures, including emergency exits, failing to carry a proper risk assessment exercise, admitting minors, running an unlicensed catering establishment, transferring the licence to a third party without the Malta Tourism Authority’s consent, selling alcohol to underage persons, making cigarettes easily available to underage people through an unguarded vending machine and allowing smoking.
The directors of Three Sixty Ltd, the managers on duty and an 18-year-old who made use of pepper spray inside the club are expected to be charged with causing involuntary injuries when the staircase collapsed.
Others will be charged with the illegal use of pepper spray and the employment of unlicensed bouncers and a number of underage clubbers will be charged with illegally consuming alcohol.
According to the magisterial inquiry, the incident started when an argument broke out between a 17-year-old Maltese national and a foreigner inside the club. At some point, a Maltese teenager used pepper spray on the foreigner, sparking a fight.
Upon noticing the commotion, a security person inside the club urged the revellers to leave but the bouncers at the door were not aware of this and stopped people from going out to protect a number of patrons who had fallen to the ground while rushing down the stairs.
As a result, panic-stricken clubbers could not move from the staircase and at one point the 2cm-thick glass banister gave way, bringing down with it dozens of youths, falling a considerable height.
Fourteen people suffered serious injuries, including two young women who were admitted to hospital in a critical condition but have since got better.
One of the victims nearly suffocated due to the excessive pressure exerted on her chest during the stampede. The second case involved deep lacerations caused by the glass banister, which caused the victim to lose huge amounts of blood.
Another 48 people suffered slight injuries and 47 clubbers were directly affected by the pepper spray.
The inquiring magistrate flagged a series of shortcomings by the club related to health and safety, the illegal employment of its staff, smoking in prohibited areas and lax controls with regard to alcohol consumption by minors.
The inquiry concluded that the incident “could have been easily avoided” had “the right provision been taken in the construction of the protective barrier for the staircase leading to the main entrance”.
In the wake of the accident, the government announced plans to substantially increase fines for club owners admitting underage patrons. It also pledged better enforcement of existing regulations.