40 people evacuated from Paceville as authorities clear collapsed building

Updated 6pm

Controlled demolition of the remainder of an apartment block that collapsed in Paceville on Wednesday night stopped just before 6pm on Friday afternoon  after authorities had evacuated some 40 people.

A hotel, shops and a bar on St George’s Street were among the buildings cleared earlier on Friday morning “as a precaution”.

The authorities are carefully dismantling the remaining masonry after Tania Flats collapsed late Wednesday night. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

In a statement, the Building and Construction Authority said the works will resume at 7.30am on Saturday morning but in the meantime it will “continue to monitor developments on site”. 

The BCA is working in coordination with the police, the Civil Protection Department (CPD), and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA).

They added they will continue to provide “all necessary assistance to the persons affected by this incident”.

Visiting the site on Friday, Minister for Reform of the Construction Sector Jonathan Attard said he did not know when the 40 people would be allowed to return.

Some eight buildings in the heart of Malta’s entertainment district were cordoned off. 

Buildings cordoned off after evacuation on St George’s Street, Paceville. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The evacuated buildings on St George’s Street include the G Hotel, the National Lottery, the Shop Express 24-hour shop, a tattoo parlour, Holland and Barrett, Cork’s Irish Pub, Net Viet restaurant and Daves supermarket. 

Several ambulances, police officers, and representatives from the Civil Protection Department (CPD), the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) were seen just a few metres from the location of the Tania Flats collapse.

Authorities confirmed with Times of Malta they are removing hanging slabs which remain from the collapsed building.

Demolition works underway to clear the remaining structure in Paceville. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

In a statement, the BCA said it and other authorities were “carrying out a coordinated dismantling process of a third party property to control and minimise damage”.

In an earlier statement the BCA and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) said the collapsed building was being closely monitored.

The collapse site on Friday morning. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

“As part of their ongoing commitment to public safety, the BCA and OHSA are taking further steps to safeguard the well-being of residents in neighbouring properties. In this respect, and in coordination with the Police, the Civil Protection Department (CPD) and Mater Dei’s Hospital Accident and Emergency Unit, a precautionary evacuation exercise is being carried out for additional properties within the affected perimeter, and temporary alternative accommodation is offered.”

The Tania Flats building collapsed late on Wednesday night, just hours after its 32 residents were evacuated after stress cracks appeared in the wall of the building. No one was injured.

‘Regrettable situation’

Minister for Construction Reform Jonathan Attard toured the area on Friday.

He said the government is determined to regulate a sector which went unregulated for years, and over the past year, it brought all stakeholders together to ensure everyone pulls their weight.

“We are now in the final stages of requiring contractors to obtain licenses. For the first time in our country, we will be able to identify who the contractor is. Previously, anyone could be a contractor.”

The minister skirted questions over whether he felt the construction industry is leading to the uglification of the island, especially in tourist hotspots.

“If you are asking me whether a situation like this, in the middle of a tourism area, is regrettable, I would say definitely. And we will certainly focus on avoiding such situations in the future, and intervening when they arise, as we are doing now. If you are asking from an aesthetic point of view, that is a matter of planning. Today, we are focusing on safety in the approved works.”

Attard said building and restructuring were always necessary for the tourism sector, but for the time being, the authorities need to focus on public safety.

“When situations like this happen, we don’t just need to establish what went wrong in this case, but also what more can be done to improve safety on construction sites.”

The building is adjacent to a construction site under development by Excel Trading Ltd, which had been served with a stop works notice the previous day. Excel Developments is owned by Joseph Portelli, Mark Agius and Daniel Refalo.

Joseph Agius is listed as the project developer, and on Thursday, the company issued a statement insisting “the collapse was not caused” by any works commissioned by the company.

Members of the Civil Protection Department on site on Friday. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

A spokesperson for Excel Trading clarified that while on May 7, works adjacent to Tania Flats were concluded, works on the rest of the site continued. 

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The architects had flagged concerns that the building had sustained damage and was “a danger to its users”. 

Some 32 English language students had been staying in the building at the time but were evacuated hours before the collapse.

Stress cracks seen in the walls inside the building which collapsed on Wednesday night.

On Thursday, the Kamra tal-Periti launched an investigation into the collapse, confirming that architects directly or indirectly involved in the project are under scrutiny. 

BCA and OHSA will be on site and will continue to provide all necessary assistance to the persons impacted by this incident.  A dedicated emergency helpline (99097867) has been set up for those impacted.