The authorities were yesterday unable to sniff out the cause behind the mysterious foul smell that wafted across the island causing hundreds of concerned citizens to call the police and the Civil Protection Department.
Described as "gas-like", "oniony", "rotten cabbage" and "chemical", reports of the stench came in from Mosta, Birkirkara, Iklin, Rabat, Valletta, Floriana, Attard, Balzan, San Ġwann and Sliema, among other areas.
Enemalta, which many suspected was the culprit, said its technicians had investigated all the corporation's installations and established there had been no gas leakage.
The technicians also went around a number of localities using gas detectors and could not determine any danger to the public. They even went to the site where Mercaptan - a foul-smelling, colourless gas that is normally added to bottled gas to detect leaks - had been disposed of and ascertained there was never any danger in that zone.
"Enemalta officials were on site all the time during this process to ensure there was no leakage. This process took place after consultation with the competent authorities," Enemalta said, without elaborating.
CPD director Peter Cordina said the department had determined the smell was "not hazardous" but its source could not be traced.
"It's very difficult to track down the origin of the smell. The odour-emitting cloud was blown by the northwest breeze so we could not follow it. What we can deduce was it originated somewhere in the northwest, however, we are still investigating," he said.
He added there was no cause for alarm as there were no reports of anyone being badly affected by the smell.
A Dingli resident said she first smelt the odour on Thursday evening. Yesterday, it spread and both the police and the CPD received phone calls from residents across the island asking what it was and whether it was dangerous.
When contacted, a Malta Environment and Planning Authority spokesman said investigating the smell did not fall under its responsibilities. "We would get involved if the smell persists but it seems to be blowing away," the spokesman said.
A spokesman for the Health Parliamentary Secretariat also said they would only investigate if the smell turned out to be hazardous but this was not the case.
The origin of the smell remains a mystery.
The Labour Party's spokesman for the environment, Leo Brincat said it was "a shame" the public was not kept updated on the smell by the authorities. He added some people reported their eyes started watering because of the smell.
As the smell spread over the island, timesofmalta.com readers came up with their own creative possibilities of what could have caused the pong.
A woman said she initially thought it was her air conditioner. Some even blamed the controversial, but still non-existent, mushroom farm in Għarb, which is still awaiting the Mepa's go-ahead. Another blamed the stench on Magħtab, perhaps due to its bad reputation of emitting odious smells, and one man joked: "It's coming from Castille... They are discussing the budget".