Lightning damages two churches in Gozo
Mass was taking place in one church while the other had windows smashed
Updated 2.10pm with damage to second church
Lightning struck two churches in Gozo early on Tuesday morning, damaging a bell tower in one and smashing the windows of another.
Parishioners were gathering for mass at Xewkija church, when the lightning struck the bell tower.
Pictures showed on social media showed the top of the church was damaged with rocks falling onto the street below. Nobody was injured.
The Xewkija Rotunda - officially known as the Rotunda of St. John the Baptist - stands as the largest church in Gozo and is renowned for its impressive dome, which measures 27 metres in diameter and rises to a height of 75 metres.
In a Facebook post, Gozo minister Clint Camilleri said he instructed architects to be hired to assess the situation and establish the way forward.
"We are in contact with the authorities concerned, including the parish and the Curia," Camilleri said.
The road adjacent to the church has been temporarily closed.
The short, but heavy storm only hit the island of Gozo.
Morning mass disrupted
Fr Daniel Xerri, the parish priest of Xewkija, told Times of Malta that the lightning bolt struck the church's bell tower during mass on Tuesday early morning, at around 5.45am.
“The lightning bolt struck the church’s bell tower during 5.30am mass, there was a really loud sound and then a blackout,” Xerri said.
There were around 50 people inside the church at the time.
Xerri said the lightning bolt caused damage to the bell tower, which caused some rubble to fall into the street.
“I really appreciated everyone who visited the church expressing their support and even helping pick up stones that fell from the church in the street,” he said.
Xewkija was established as a parish in 1678, making it the first village in Gozo to attain this status. The foundation stone for the new church was laid in 1952, designed by Maltese architect Ġużè Damato, and completed and consecrated in 1978.
The lightning smashed windows in Our Lady of Pompei church in Rabat, Gozo. Photo: Eddie ZammitSlightly before the lightning strike on Xewkija’s church, a lightning bolt struck Our Lady of Pompei church in Rabat, Gozo.
Rector of the church Eddie Zammit told Times of Malta that a lightning bolt struck inside the dome lantern at around 5.30 am on Tuesday.
The strike caused minor structural damage, and it broke six out of the eight glass windows of the lantern.
“Thankfully, there was no one as mass hadn’t started yet. Chunks of glass and debris fell from the ceiling onto the benches. We were very lucky,” Zammit said.
Zammit described the strike as being more of an “implosion rather than an explosion” as the lightning bolt struck inside.
They are currently assessing the extent of the damage, but Zammit said that so far, there does not seem to be any major structural damage.