A 41-year-old man army sergeant from Għaxaq was critically injured in an explosion this morning, apparently caused by firework material.

The incident happened in a field at Għaxaq shortly after 11am.

The man and a friend set fire to some rubbish they were disposing of, and the explosion took place. 

The site is close to a fireworks factory.

A magisterial inquiry is under way.

Coincidentally, today's incident took place on the 32nd anniversary of the day when five soldiers and two policemen lost their lives on board the Task Force Patrol Boat C 23 off Comino.

They were about to dump illegal fireworks at sea when they exploded. The fireworks were found at Żabbar earlier that week.

One man survived the tragedy and managed to beach the patrol boat on a beach in Comino.

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