A powerful explosion tore through the Ta' Lourdes fireworks factory in Magħtab at around 6:30am on Monday, injuring two men who were in nearby fields and sending shockwaves across large parts of Malta. Both were taken by ambulance to Mater Dei Hospital with minor injuries after the blast, which was heard from several kilometres away.
The men were a 67-year-old and a 47-year-old, both residents of St Paul's Bay. The older man, who was in fields near the factory at the time, was certified as suffering from minor injuries. Emergency services were dispatched immediately after the explosion, and police, the Civil Protection Department, the Armed Forces of Malta and medical staff remained on site to make sure the area was safe.
The blast originated at the factory on Triq tal-Qagħdi, and residents reported shattered windows and buildings shaken by the force of the explosion across wide parts of the country. That is why the incident spread far beyond one industrial site: a morning blast at a fireworks factory became a public event felt in homes and streets many kilometres away.
Police said none of the factory's licensed workers was on site when the explosion occurred, even though the fireball came from the factory itself. That detail has already sharpened the focus of the inquiry, because it leaves open how an explosion at an active licensed site developed without any of its workers present.
Magistrate Joe Mifsud is leading the investigation, while authorities have asked the public to avoid the area. Prime Minister Robert Abela said his thoughts were with those affected, and Alex Borg said the blast had shocked the country. Roberta Metsola said she was struck by an explosion that had shocked our country and spoke of the difficult circumstances facing those caught up in it. For now, the cause remains unanswered, and that is the question the investigation has to settle next.
