Six Santa Venera families remain evacuated as emergency works continue
Residents were ordered to leave their homes after cracks and movement were reported in buildings near construction site
Emergency precautionary works continued into Monday in Santa Venera after serious structural concerns led to the evacuation of six families from properties close to a construction site.
On Sunday, residents at properties in Misraħ il-Barrieri and Triq is-Soll were ordered to leave their homes after cracks and movement were reported in nearby buildings. The evacuation was described as precautionary and was coordinated by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) following reports filed with the police.
In a statement issued on Monday, the BCA said that emergency precautionary works continued in recent hours on one of the properties adjacent to the construction site. The works were carried out by the project developer under the supervision of the project architect and third-party architects, and included the shoring up of the building to reduce any immediate risk.
Six families remain in alternative accommodation with assistance from the BCA and will continue to do so until their homes are declared safe. Residents were allowed limited supervised access on Sunday to collect essential items.
BCA officials also inspected properties along both affected streets on Monday morning to identify which buildings may have suffered damage. These inspections will inform a detailed assessment of the situation and determine the next steps. The authority said a new method of construction will eventually be established on the site, as the affected properties are built on fragile foundations.
The authorities said they will remain in continuous contact with all parties involved to safeguard the interests and rights of affected third parties, as well as the health and safety of everyone concerned. They reiterated that they are remaining proactive in similar cases to prevent incidents and reminded the public to make use of the helpline 138 to report concerns.
According to earlier accounts by residents, cracks first began appearing in January, prompting multiple complaints to the BCA. While the contractor initially installed crack gauges to monitor movement, the situation worsened in recent days, leading authorities to intervene and halt works on the site.