Police close off St Peter’s Pool cliff after large fissure sparks collapse fear

Police have closed off an area around the cliff face at St Peter’s Pool following widespread alarm over a large fissure that has opened up in the rock structure.

The emergency intervention came after photos circulated on social media on Wednesday showing beachgoers and tourists sunbathing and standing directly beneath the fractured cliff face, unaware of the potential danger.

Marsaxlokk Mayor Steven Grech told Times of Malta that he had filed an official report with the police after receiving multiple calls from concerned citizens.

The photo uploaded to social media on Wednesday afternoon, showing swimmers standing underneath the seemingly dangerous boulder. Photo: Facebook / Charles Falzon

Officers were deployed to the popular swimming spot a few hours later to install barriers and prevent people from accessing the zone.

The geological stability of the cliff is unclear, but Grech said police and the local council are taking no chances. He pointed out that parts of the same cliff face collapsed just last month. The new photos raised serious concerns that the remaining structure could give way during the busy summer season.

The police have closed off the area above and around the cliff face. Photo Chris Sant Fournier.

The soft limestone cliffs around the Delimara rock pool have shed large boulders in the past, highlighting ongoing erosion risks at the popular tourist destination.

The fissures on the cliff face. Photo Chris Sant Fournier.