It was a "miracle of Christmas" that those inside the Mqabba Nationalist Party club survived when a staff party turned into a "Western-style" shooting on Saturday night, barman Antoine Farrugia told The Times yesterday.

His sister, 33-year-old mother Sylvana Callus who was seriously injured in the shooting, could be home for Christmas, he said. She was hospitalised after a gunman shot four times through the club's doors as the two siblings, their brother and another barman ran inside for cover, closing the doors behind them.

Their brother is the club's president, Michel, who organised the staff party. It ended up with Antoine Farrugia witnessing his sister falling to the ground and finding her blood on his hands.

"Had those doors not been closed, the consequences would have been tragic," Mr Farrugia said.

He believes that neither would he have been alive today had two policemen not literally hung onto the shotgun, deviating the barrel away from the window pane that the gunman smashed to fire into the club.

Carmel Saliba, 30, from Kirkop, was arraigned yesterday and charged with the attempted murder of 20 people.

"I would have been dead! There were loads of people in there, including about three children," Mr Farrugia said. "Had it not been for the police, there would have been deaths."

Mr Farrugia said the two policemen tried to stop the man from attacking the club after he alighted from a pick-up. At first they did not manage, he said.

Standing not more than a foot away from the door, the gunman shot four times, he said.

His brother was hit in the back by 25 pellets. His sister, also a committee member, was hit in the head but she is conscious and recovering well. His partner, barman John Leonard, was hit in the neck and hand, Mr Farrugia explained.

"We were the last four in - I was followed by Michel, Sylvana and John and that is why I was not hurt.

"We were outside talking to the two policemen, whom we had called on site, when the pick-up sped up to the club. We yelled: 'Close the doors!' We never imagined he would be armed...

"I only slept one hour after that, and it was only when I woke up that what happened really hit me. It was like something out of a movie. Even the police claim they have not seen anything like it!"

Nationalist MPs of the fifth district, Franco Debono and Ninu Zammit, were among the first on the scene of the crime on Saturday night. Dr Debono, a lawyer, appeared in court for the victims.

Both Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat also visited the scene.

Mr Farrugia said Dr Muscat had twice visited the club, "which is open to everyone". In fact, a picture of the Opposition Leader with committee secretary Paul Spiteri hangs on the wall above one of the Prime Minister, he said, stressing the "friendship" between the two party clubs, located opposite each other in Mqabba.

"Only last Wednesday, we had drinks for the Labour Party club committee and we also had another farewell party for its barman, who had served for several years," Mr Farrugia said.

The PN condemned the shooting, which it described as "a personal action", expressing solidarity with the injured and thanking the police, who prevented more serious consequences. It thanked Dr Gonzi and Dr Muscat for their solidarity at the scene of the crime.

The Labour Party too condemned the shooting.