The Civil Protection Department did all it could in the circumstances to try to save the life of 20-year-old worker Jean Paul Sofia during the 15-hour search and rescue operation, according to the public inquiry into his death.

Jean Paul Sofia died in a construction site collapse at the Corradino Industrial Estate in December 2022.

“The CPD with its people did all it could in the circumstances it was in to save the life of Jean Paul Sofia,” said the inquiry as it added that any claims, direct or indirect, that there were any shortcomings ought to be stricken off and that the CPD held no criminal or civil fault in the incident.

The CPD were amongst the first on site.

The inquiry found that Jean Paul Sofia died in an essentially unregulated construction site and the state must bear responsibility for that. In a 484-page report published on Wednesday, the inquiry went to considerable lengths flagging multiple failings in various state authorities.

The report named and shamed many entities and individuals, some of who have resigned.

But when it came to the CPD there were only words of praise by board members who made it clear that CPD “was not under the lens for any shortcomings.”

"Impressive" evidence by CPD

The board said that the details given by CPD director Peter Paul Coleiro during his testimony were “impressive” and showed that the CPD had nothing to hide.

Coleiro, who was on site with some 30 team members, presented photos of the site including aerial drone images. He explained how after receiving the call about the collapse, the CPD were amongst the first on site.

They realised that Jean Paul Sofia was trapped inside the building after CCTV footage showed him walking in but never coming out. A parked van contained his wallet with his identification documents.

Coleiro said the CPD was carrying out a search and rescue operation on the assumption that he was still alive. Coleiro said that, with the advice of the CPD architect, his team had to move very cautiously due to fears of other parts of the building collapsing.

The CPD presented "impressive" evidence during the inquiry, that include aerial drone images of the site.

Teams worked in two-hour shifts to remove the rubble. Eventually, they roped in the help of a building contractor to use a heavy lifter to remove collapsed ceilings. After about 15 hours, they found the body.

During the inquiry, Jean Paul Sofia’s father, John, thanked the CPD for their hard work but raised some questions. These included whether the CPD had the training and equipment for these sorts of cases. He also questioned why no one went inside to search for his son.

The inquiry found that one had to keep in mind that the CPD was working in an unprecedented scenario where the danger was real for all involved and they used all the equipment available to them.

It urged the government to invest more in the CPD to ensure it did not have to rely on the private sector in such cases.