A child died at Ċirkewwa. Nobody is taking charge to prevent a repeat

A month after a 13-year-old Polish girl was swept to her death at the Ċirkewwa South Quay, no government entity or ministry would take responsibility for installing life-saving warning signs at the notorious coastal spot.

Times of Malta questioned eight different ministries, authorities and entities who might possibly be responsible for safety and signage at the South Quay, and the response from all of them was a uniform “it’s not us”.

The questions were sent following warnings from a seasoned diver – Raniero Borg – who has spent years recovering wrecked cars from the site. He told Times of Malta that the swell is frequently powerful enough to sweep vehicles into the sea. Despite his long-standing appeals to the authorities, he stressed there is not a single sign to warn pedestrians or drivers of the life-threatening danger.

In reply to questions, Infrastructure Malta said the installation of warning signs at the quay “does not fall within their remit”.

The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) said the quay does not fall under their remit, meaning they have no say in “signage, access restrictions, or other safety measures”.

Oliwia Wojnowska, 13, died after being swept into the sea by a powerful wave.

And the Environment and Resources Authority also confirmed they are “not responsible” for signs at the location.

Similar denials came from sources within the home affairs ministry and the Civil Protection Department.

Transport Malta and the Public Works Department ignored formal requests for comment, but a source close to Transport Malta claimed signage in the area is outside their remit. However, several other government entities pointed back to the transport regulator as the responsible party.

Mellieħa mayor Gabriel Micallef said the local council does not have the authority to install maritime safety signs or road-closure barriers on a national quay, but Transport Malta does.

“As the South Quay is a primary mooring point for the Gozo Channel ferry during inclement weather, it is classified as a strategic maritime installation rather than a local residential road,” he said.

He said the council, however, is looking into the issue and suggesting the installation of permanent gates or warning signs at key access points leading to the lower quay.

All contacted entities said it was not their responsibility

The bureaucratic finger-pointing follows the tragic death of a young Polish teenager last month, who was dragged into the sea by a large wave while walking along the quay. The incident sparked immediate calls for better safety infrastructure in an area known for treacherous swells; yet the site remains in exactly the same state as it was on the day of the accident.

Oliwia Wojnowska, 13, died after being swept into the sea by a powerful wave. She was on holiday with her family and was dragged into the water while standing with her father and brother behind railings near the South Quay area.

Is it Transport Malta, after all?

The law does not seem to specifically task Transport Malta with the installation of such warning signs, but the Transport Malta Act (Chapter 499, Article 8e) does grant it the power to manage ports and ensure the safety of navigation and port operations.

It says the authority is “responsible to provide, maintain, develop, improve and operate ports in Malta and any of their facilities, and to provide, maintain  and operate therein and in the approaches thereto adequate and efficient services, and facilities as it may from time to time consider necessary  or  advantageous for the  proper, safe and efficient functioning of such ports”.

Also, the law empowers Transport Malta to authorise any signage used to regulate traffic or warn of danger in thoroughfares for vehicles and pedestrians, and the Ċirkewwa South Quay could be considered as one.

Furthermore, Times of Malta found at least two tenders issued by Transport Malta in 2022 (TM QUOTE001/2022 and TM QUOTE003/2022), both for the “replacement of signage at the Ċirkewwa terminal”. The first one was specifically for the installation of signage at the South Quay.

In January 2021, following several incidents where cars were swept off the South Quay in a storm, then transport minister Ian Borg told PN MP Robert Cutajar in parliament that Transport Malta would be installing barriers and warning signs on the quay to limit parking in the area.