Six days later, car remains stuck in Attard abandoned building
Mayor urges solution to 'delicate' situation as road is still closed to traffic
Six days after an underage driver crashed a car into an abandoned building in Attard, the vehicle remains trapped beneath the debris as authorities work out how to stabilise the structure to minimise risks for adjacent properties.
Speaking to Times of Malta, Stefan Cordina said the situation is rather “delicate” as the building on Triq il-Kbira is “resting on the car”.
“If the car is removed, the rest of the building will collapse for sure,” Cordina said.
Metal barriers have been erected around the building and the road remains closed to traffic leading to a significant increase in traffic flowing through the village core.
“It’s inconvenient but we can’t do much about it,” Cordina said.
Two boys aged 16 and 13 years were in the car when the collision happened at around 3.30am on July 2. The 16-year-old suffered slight injuries while the 13-year-old was grievously injured. At the time, a police spokesperson could not confirm which of the two boys was driving the Kia Picanto.
The impact dislodged several stone blocks from the building, which remain on the road six days later behind protective barriers.
Cordina said there are residents living directly opposite the privately-owned building and behind it, which raises safety concerns.
“You can’t just pull the building down but you can’t just leave the car there forever,” the mayor said.
“We would like to see the situation sorted as soon as possible, but obviously without interfering in any inquiry,” he continued.
A police spokesperson said the architect for the government is "assessing the situation".
He added that a supporting structure may need to be erected around the building to minimise the risk of damage to neighbouring properties before the car can be removed.