Two men escaped unhurt when a huge explosion rocked the San Bartolomeo fireworks factory in Għargħur as they were preparing for an upcoming fireworks festival.

The men, aged 44 and 47, both from Għargħur, rushed out of the room they were working in when they saw a fire burning inside, police sources said.

The room exploded and then caught fire as they ran across the fields. The blast, just after 3 p.m., was heard from as far away as Marsascala, Żejtun and Birżebbuġa.

Three small explosions were heard, followed quickly by a huge blast.

The fire raged on for three hours and died out by about 6 p.m. as fireworks inside exploded intermittently because of the heat.

Luckily, the building where the chemicals and explosives used to manufacture fireworks are stored was not touched by the flames.

However, as a precaution, residents in houses overlooking the valley were evacuated for at least three hours until the fire abated.

Window panes of houses in the vicinity were shattered with the blast and bits of burnt paper used to wrap fireworks were blown into surrounding fields.

The explosion revealed frustration among residents who have been complaining about limited access to the fireworks factory.

One resident said a huge tragedy was averted because the road that lead to the factory, situated in the middle of a valley, was too narrow to allow fire engines or ambulances to go through. "Imagine if someone was hurt or injured, how would the ambulances and doctors have made their way down there, tell me."

For the past 10 years, the residents, and even the San Bartolomeo fireworks committee, had been calling on the authorities to widen the access road to at least allow two cars to go through easily.

But nothing had happened, the resident said.

Another resident said he ran out as soon as he heard the first three small explosions but then was shocked by the powerful blast. "I was surprised that they were letting off fireworks so early in the year and then I heard this huge bang."

This is the second explosion in a fireworks factory this year.

In February, two men died at the St Sebastian factory in Qormi.