Man critically injured in Fgura explosion

A 44-year-old man from Tarxien is in danger of dying and a young family has been left temporarily homeless following an explosion that shook Fgura yesterday morning.

Police suspect that Edgar Grima was manufacturing firework petards in his garage, which lies between two other garages.

A maisonette owned by the Buckland family, who have a 10-month old baby, overlies the garages in San Xmun Street. Luckily they were not at home at the time.

The 8.30 a.m. blast shattered the adjoining walls of the two other garages, burying Mr Grima under the rubble and damaging the foundations of the maisonette.

Neighbours who heard the deafening explosion rushed to the site and after letting the dust settle, three men ventured inside the garage and dragged Mr Grima from under the rubble.

"We heard a man moaning in agony. He was practically buried under the stone slabs and bleeding from his head, chest and legs," said Victor Mizzi, one of the men who went to rescue Mr Grima.

"We immediately called the ambulance. He was still conscious when we brought him out, but he was obviously in immense pain," Mr Mizzi said.

The Civil Protection Department and the Bomb Disposal Unit of the Armed Forces of Malta were called on site to ensure the place was safe.

Mr Grima, who works as a driver with the Garden of Eden, also did spray-painting and panel beating work, police sources said. Police also found petards in the garage.

From their initial investigations - and taking into consideration the extensive damage caused by the blast - the police suspect a petard ignited close to some paint and thinner, causing a greater explosion.

Apart from demolishing the boundary wall of the two adjacent garages, the blast also damaged Mr Grima's car, parked in the driveway, and shattered the windows of private residences across the road.

Inside Mr Grima's three-car garage there was another vehicle which was also buried under the rubble. Three other cars in the adjacent garages were also damaged.

Police sources said the foundations of the house which was damaged rested on the boundary walls of these garages and the chances were that the house would be condemned.

Chris and Sabrina Buckland immediately rushed to the site when they heard the news and they were visibly outraged.

"I have been complaining for the past five years because of the noise and other nuisances. I have reported him to the police on numerous occasions, but after a while they stopped coming. There were times when we could not even open a window because of the toxic fumes from the spray paint," she said, breaking down in tears.

"We have been living here for eight years and recently one of my neighbours had to move house because of these activities," she said.

The Buckland family and neighbours said they had no idea that Mr Grima also used his garage to manufacture petards.

Duty magistrate Joe Cassar was informed and ordered an on-site inquiry.