No one was injured when the wall of a hall at San Anton school, in the limits of Mġarr, collapsed onto an access road damaging a number of cars yesterday.

The incident happened at about 1.30pm and is believed to have been caused by the strong winds. The structure was still under construction. At the time, senior students were on their lunch break but none were in the area when the lateral wall collapsed. Children in Grade 7 (approximately 10 years old), whose classes overlook the site, were immediately evacuated.

A parent whose children attend the school said some of the children were shocked by the loud sound as the wall came crashing down.

“Nobody was hurt but the kids are shocked. Some were close to tears as they spoke of the incident. They thought there was an earthquake,” the mother said. Some 20 teachers and staff who had parked their cars inside the netball pitch, which could only be accessed through the road where the wall collapsed, were forced to get a lift home with colleagues or parents because their way out was blocked.

At least four cars parked beneath the wall were damaged.

Thankfully, none of the teachers were driving out when the incident happened, the mother said.

“Had the wall collapsed a few minutes later, teachers would have been leaving the pitch via the road, especially the ones teaching at the junior school who finish earlier,” she said.

All the students were evacuated and a roll call was taken. They were then grouped outside the school as a precautionary measure, the mother said.

The last two lessons of the day were cancelled and the school will remain closed today.