St Thomas More College Primary School in Marsaxlokk is located close to where a tsunami swept the area more than a century ago.

And while the building itself is in a safe location, headmaster Ralph Camilleri was keen for his pupils to be prepared.

So on Tuesday morning, over 90 teachers and students aged between seven and ten took part in a tsunami drill especially focused on them. 

"I strongly believe all students, especially those living close to the sea, should be familiar with evacuating a place in case of a tsunami,” said Camilleri.

“It could be the difference between life and death.”

Within minutes of hearing the emergency sirens ring out across Marsaxlokk Bay, all the children had reached the safety point at the top of a winding road. 

The drill, led by the Civil Protection Department along with Police, Transport Malta, and LESA, was one of a number of drills carried out around Eastern and Central Meditteranean countries on Tuesday. 

It envisaged what would happen if a tsunami wave were to hit the Marsasxlokk coastline.  The exercise was a smaller version of one carried out two years ago that included residents and tourists.

Students were collected from school and taken to the bay to participate in the tsunami drill on Tuesday. Photo: Jonathan Borg

The fictional tsunami was triggered by a 9am earthquake in Crete that measured 8.1 on the Richter scale. 

Following the announcement, CPD waited for confirmation from the University of Malta’s Department of Geosciences, to determine whether such an earthquake could be a threat to the island. 

The head of the Geosciences Department, Pauline Galea, said that such an earthquake could stimulate the possibility of a 0.6 to 1m tsunami wave hitting Marsaxlokk. Anything greater than 0.5m is a threat, she explained. 

Galea explained that the fictional tsunami was to hit Marsaxlokk 45 minutes following the earthquake. 

CPD's control room on site tracking details of the imaginary tsunami. Photo: Jonathan Borg

In a real-life scenario, CPD officers would consult a wave map, which tracks in real-time the seafront of the popular fishing village, which according to officers, is the most vulnerable spot in the case of a tsunami. 

That's where the children were located when the siren alarm rang out. 

They were told to walk in two single lines up Power House street, towards the strategic checkpoint on high ground. 

Once they arrived at the safety point, emergency responders took down their details. 

Once safely away from the coast, students details were recorded by first aiders. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Students walking up the hill to a safety checkpoint during a tsunami drill on Tuesday. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Fire engines were on standby during the drill. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Photo: Jonathan Borg

A control room which covered live information and tracking on the tsunami and its impact on the fishing village. Photo: Jonathan Borg

CPD head Peter Paul Coleiro said it is wrong to misjudge the actual damage a one-metre tsunami can have on the community.

"A one-meter wave is not just that, but an unstoppable body of water," he said.

"It can still hurt people, even kill people, and cause a lot of damage. This is why it is important that the community of Marsaxlokk is aware that when they hear that tsunami siren, they evacuate to higher ground away from the bay."