Salina farm seeks €700,000 over damage caused by fireworks factory blast
Vella Farms files judicial protest against factory operators, ministers and authorities
A Salina dairy farm that suffered hundreds of thousands of euros' worth of damages following a massive explosion at a fireworks factory in June has filed a judicial protest against the factory operators, as well as various ministers and authorities.
Vella Farms Ltd – one of the worst affected businesses in the blast that occurred on June 1 – is demanding Lourdes Fireworks Factory pay more than €700,000 in damages.
The judicial protest, filed by lawyers John and Michelangelo Refalo, is directed against the factory's operator, Għaqda Piroteknika 11 ta' Frar San Ġwann, its committee members Francis Xuereb and Edmond Saliba, as well as the Prime Minister, the State Advocate, the ministers responsible for planning and infrastructure, the Planning Authority and the Building and Construction Authority.
The company argues that the explosion caused extensive structural damage to its premises, killed a number of dairy cows and forced it to halt milk production for several weeks, resulting in losses exceeding €700,000.
In the protest, the farm alleges the fireworks factory operators were negligent in the production, storage and handling of explosive material, making them directly responsible for the damage caused by the blast.
It also claims the state and public authorities failed in their duty to safeguard public safety by allowing hazardous activities to continue in close proximity to agricultural operations and other third parties.
The protest notes that the farm's owners had, as far back as 1990, sought a court warrant to stop further development of the fireworks factory because of the dangers it posed.
It also alleges repeated complaints were made over the years to the relevant authorities, warning that the site represented a permanent risk to nearby residents and property, but the factory was nevertheless allowed to continue operating.
As a result, the company argues, the public authorities share responsibility for the damages because they permitted the continued use of the site despite allegedly failing to ensure it complied with the law or posed no danger to nearby third parties.
The protest formally holds all respondents responsible for the losses suffered by the farm and warns it will initiate further legal proceedings to recover the damages.
The June 1 explosion at the Lourdes Fireworks Factory sent a huge fireball and shockwave across northern Malta, damaging homes, farms and vehicles across the area. Two farmers were hospitalised and more than 90 farmers reported damage to around 200 parcels of agricultural land, while a magisterial inquiry into the blast is ongoing.
Vella Farms was among the businesses hardest hit. The explosion killed several cows and severely damaged farm buildings, with owner James Vella saying at the time that the disaster had devastated a business built over decades.