Buildings collapse in Victoria after heavy rain

Updated Sunday 5.05pm

No one was injured when a number of building structures collapsed in Victoria, Gozo on Saturday afternoon after heavy rains hit the island during the day.

The foundation of the buildings in Triq Pawlu Portelli in Victoria gave way crashing down into an adjacent construction site below.

The Civil Protection Department evacuated several people from neighbouring buildings as a precaution but said they were not aware of any injuries or any missing persons.

The full extent of the damage is yet to be established.

A police spokesperson told Times of Malta the structures that collapsed had long been abandoned and were earmarked for demolition as part of the construction project. 

A private home for the elderly is scheduled to be built on the site which lies across two roads, Triq Pawlu Portelli and Triq San Gwann Bosco.

No works were under way at the site when the incident happened. 

On Saturday, heavy rain lashed down on Gozo and it is understood the building may have collapsed after the water-logged clay ground gave way.

Officials from the Building and Construction Authority and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority are carrying out an investigation into the incident.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday evening, the BCA and OHSA said they have issued a stop-works notice on the site until investigations are carried out. 

This is the second building to collapse adjacent to a construction site this year. In June, a multi-storey block of apartments in the heart of Paceville collapsed just hours after 32 student residents were evacuated due to safety concerns. 

Remainder of collapsed building to be demolished

Speaking to Times of Malta, the architect responsible for the project, Kleaven Maniscalco, said that for safety reasons, the remaining part of the collapsed building will be demolished on Monday.

Excavation works are currently underway on a site stretching between Triq San Ġwann Bosco and Triq Pawlu Portelli to construct an old people’s home and a residential block (PA/3838/15, PA/4727/21, PA/3915/22, and PA6495/22). The applicant is Bertrand Gatt.

Maniscalco explained that during the excavation, a “temporary structure” was placed in front of the building to support both the structure and the clay beneath it. However, heavy rainfall caused water to seep between the clay and the support, leading to the building’s collapse.

He added that there had been plans to demolish the building, but no permit had been granted to carry this out.

The proposed demolition of the building in question was included in a new planning application (PA/4665/25), which is currently under review by a Planning Authority case officer.

The updated plans, submitted under architect and former minister George Pullicino, propose expanding the already large development higher.