A Maltese and an Egyptian were hospitalised following a stabbing at City Gate, Valletta, early yesterday, as morning commuters arrived for work and were met with police tape and uniformed officers.

The police said the Egyptian, 37, who lives in Valletta, was seriously injured but not critical while the 56-year-old man from Attard was slightly hurt. Both were placed under arrest.

The incident started at Diana Kiosk near the Triton Fountain at about 7.15 a.m. when the two men became embroiled in an argument. A police statement said the Maltese man was stabbed.

According to a waitress at a cafe in City Gate Arcade, the Egyptian fled into Freedom Square and fell to the floor under the Burger King sign in the arcade.

“He was bleeding quite badly. There was a lot of blood,” the waitress said.

A passer-by used the Egyptian’s own mobile phone to call the emergency services and police officers and ambulances arrived on the scene quickly, the waitress added.

Another waitress said she had heard the argument started over the price of a coffee.

Police tape that cordoned off the area where the Egyptian fell in the arcade had been removed by 9.30 a.m.

At Diana Kiosk at the same time, people could be seen attempting to brush up glass that had been smashed during the incident.

Packets of sweets had spilled on to the pavement amid broken glass after a counter was smashed.

The people involved in the clean-up at Diana Kiosk refused to comment on what happened.