Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela would not go into the details of the Paceville accident, saying he preferred to await the outcome of the magisterial inquiry and police investigations.

Carmelo Abela

Mr Abela was asked to comment on what had happened and also on the fact that underage children, one as young as 13, were present. The legal age to enter a nightclub in Malta is 17 and venues are liable to a €233 fine for every underage person found inside.

“Before expressing any further remarks on this particular incident, I will await the outcome of the magisterial inquiry and the police investigation whereby a number of experts have been appointed to establish the cause of the accident,” he said.

Pressed on the matter, Mr Abela said Paceville had been in the limelight for a number of years and this was not the first accident in which people had been hurt. He said the police were working towards stepping up security and surveillance in the area. The accident, he said, had come on the back of increased police presence in Paceville in recent weeks.

The accident came on the back of increased police presence in Paceville in recent weeks

The Home Affairs Ministry is also responsible for the Health and Safety Monitoring Board, which evaluates establishments’ facilities before allowing them to operate.

Asked whether the establishment in question had been tested and how many patrons it was permitted to host at any given time, Mr Abela said the answers would be given in the coming days.

He pointed out that he had recently set up a committee to work on the implementation of several measures aimed at improving the security aspect in the area.