Three men were injured, one of them grievously, when the ceiling they were demolishing in Sliema gave way, sending them plummeting two floors down.

The men were working on a old house in Triq il-Ħnejja when shortly before 11am the roof they were standing on caved in.

They were dismantling the ceiling to replace it.

All of a sudden there was a loud bang, almost like an explosion or an earthquake

The ceiling collapsed despite measures having been taken to support it. It took the floor below it to the ground.

A 29-year-old man from Żurrieq had to be pulled from the rubble by members of the Civil Protection Department. His injuries were yesterday described as serious.

Two other workers, a 27-year-old from Qormi and a 32-year-old from Żebbuġ, were only slightly hurt.

A neighbour told Times of Malta that she was at home at the time, washing the floors, and knew that building work was being carried at the house a few doors down.

“I had been hearing the jigger since the morning. It had almost become background noise but all of a sudden there was a loud bang, almost like an explosion or an earthquake,” the woman said, admitting she was still under shock.

She said she felt the ground shaking and ran to the front door to see what had happened when she heard workmen yelling for help.

“They were saying that their friend was under the rubble. There was a lot of confusion. People were running about in the street.

“Within minutes the ambulance and the fire engines were here. Two men were covered in dust and were slightly bloody, but I did not see the other one until they brought him out on a stretcher,” she said.

Another neighbour, who was not at home at the time of the collapse, said work on the house had been going on for quite some time.

The police are investigating.