Twenty-nine people were injured yesterday, seven of them seriously, when a bus smashed into Portes des Bombes, Floriana, and another two crashed shortly afterwards on the slippery roads.
The major accident happened at around 3pm when a bus on the Żebbuġ route skidded into the monument, rupturing its right side and dislodging some stones.
Seconds later two buses crashed into each other just metres away as they tried to stop when their drivers spotted the first accident. One of the buses ended up on the centre strip with a smashed windscreen.
The police put the number of injured at 29. Among those with serious injuries were a 13-year-old boy, another two boys aged 16 and 17, and a girl of 17. Another two of the badly hurt were elderly women.
Arriva, the transport operator, said two of its drivers were also among the injured.
One passenger was placed on a stretcher with her neck in a brace as medical teams from four ambulances treated passengers on site. Others were seen with blood on several parts of their body.
After the trauma passengers with minor injuries boarded another Arriva bus and were taken to the Floriana health centre accompanied by a nurse.
Blood stains could be seen on the handlebars and seats of the first bus as glass and engine oil covered the street.
Visibly shocked and barely able to speak, the driver of the first bus told The Times he skidded on the wet road as he approached the bend next to the monument. A light drizzle created a slippery sheen on the road surface.
“I am in shock and suffering from back pain,” he said, while waiting for treatment at the Floriana health centre. The driver has been with the company for a year.
In a statement the company said its first thoughts went to the people injured in the accidents.
It said there appeared to be diesel mixed with the water on the road. Arriva personnel were on site cooperating with the police.
The double accident caused long traffic queues as the police blocked the southbound carriageway of St Anne Street while an onsite inquiry was conducted.
Cars coming out of Valletta were diverted towards St Francis Ravelin and at one time some two dozen buses were stuck in traffic.
Additional reporting by Waylon Johnston.
ksansone@timesofmalta.com