'A panicked tourist was screaming' - witnesses describe horror of collapse

It was just past 10.30pm on Wednesday when 67‑year‑old Giuseppe, enjoying an evening coffee at Big Gee's in Paceville, spotted what he first believed to be smoke drifting across the busy street.

Seconds later, a panicked tourist sprinted toward him, screaming that a building had collapsed. Only then did Giuseppe realise it wasn’t smoke at all - it was a cloud of dust 

At first, it looked like smoke from a car’s tires skidding on the tarmac, but there was no smell of burning," he said.

"Then this young foreign guy came running towards us, shouting that a building had collapsed. He looked terrified... Moments later, all I could see was dust."

The dust was from Tania Flats, an apartment block just 200 metres away, which had crumbled to the ground in the heart of Paceville.

Remarkably, no one was injured. Earlier that day, authorities had evacuated all 32 residents from the building over concerns about its structural integrity. That swift decision likely saved lives.

The building, located on Triq Paceville, was several storeys high and nestled in Malta’s busiest entertainment district, an area where residents have long voiced concerns about construction.

Giuseppe, who has lived in St Julian’s for decades, said the collapse came as no surprise.

“There is way too much work in this area. It’s non-stop.”

He was back at Big Gee’s on Thursday morning, joined by his friend Ivan, also a St Julians local. As they spoke, they gestured toward four other buildings in their line of sight, each either under construction or clearly in need of repairs.

A skyline crowded with cranes loomed above them.

“This used to be a small fishing village when I grew up, you know. It doesn’t resemble anything I grew up with now, though,” said Ivan.“They (developers) ruined it,” Giuseppe added.

Collapsed building in Paceville Photo: Emma Borg

As word of the collapse spread, my morning locals gathered near the site to see the wreckage for themselves. Some whispered in shock and relief.

“Thank God no one was in there,” murmured a group of elderly women. A resident from the street opposite the building admitted she had slept through the entire event and only realised what had happened the next morning.

Access to outlets barred

Nearby business owners were also affected. Ray, who runs a massage spa close to the site, said he was unable to access his premises.

“I can’t even get into my business. I can see it, but I can’t go in so I don’t know if it sustained any damages or not,” he said. 

"While I respect the authorities for taking precautions, they didn't seem to have a problem with one of the developers going close to the site last night, so why can't I get to my business this morning?" 

The site is being developed by Excel Developments, owned by Joseph Portelli, Mark Agius, and Daniel Refalo. Agius is listed as the project developer.

Demolition works on the neighbouring site had reportedly ended in April. In a statement issued on Thursday morning, Excel Trading Limited insisted “the collapse was not caused” by any works commissioned by the company.

“Demolition works adjacent to Tania Flats were completed on May 7,” it said.

Times of Malta has been informed that the residents of Tania Flats were English language students.

Although they were evacuated in time, it remains unclear where they have been relocated to. 

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) confirmed on Thursday that all residents were not only given alternative accommodation but also offered assistance to cope with the consequences of the incident.

Collapsed building cordoned off by Authorities Photo: Emma Borg

The night Paceville stopped

Across the neighbourhood, restaurants and diners witnessed the surreal aftermath. Luigi, a chef at Trattoria Da Nennella, recalled how the evening unfolded.

“We were working away last night when we heard from the front of house there must be a fire nearby. The customers went outside because they saw what they thought was smoke. The second we got a chance to see, we went out of the kitchen and there was dust everywhere.”

He paused, then added: “It was right behind us, so there was a lot of dust. But we weren’t surprised really. Look around you (pointing at cranes everywhere), what do you expect?”

On the other side of Paceville, closer to Spinola, 30-year-old Sarah was having dinner at Kuya Restaurant when she noticed a “huge plume of smoke.”

“One of the people I was with said ‘wow, look at how humid it is!’ And I said it's more like smoke, there must be a fire. But we weren't smelling fire so we were a bit confused.”

Police sirens and CPD vehicles soon confirmed something serious had happened. Restaurant staff told them to close the balcony due to health and safety risks. It was only when Ana got home that she learned a building had actually collapsed.

She was stunned.“It saddens me so much to see the place I grew up literally falling to pieces and losing its character because of this negligence,” she said.

“And it scares me because I know Portelli has other sites close to family members in the area who are already unhappy with the construction surrounding them. But now I’m scared for their safety.”

Architects representing residents filed a police report early Wednesday, triggering a chain of events that led to the evacuation and cordoning off of the area. Both the BCA and Occupational Health and Safety Authority backed the move.

Two restaurants near the block were ordered to remain shut on Wednesday night as a precaution. By nightfall, the building had collapsed.

On Thursday morning, representatives from the BCA and OHSA, the independent evaluators, Prof. Alex Torpiano & Dr Robert Musumeci were on site assessing the damages.