Updated 2pm

A worker died and another was rushed to hospital when a roof collapsed at a Sliema property on Saturday morning. 

One of the workers, aged 31, managed to make his way out of the collapsed area following the 9.50am collapse on St Ignatius Street.

The other worker, who was 51 years old, remained trapped beneath the rubble. He was found dead around one hour later, following a frantic rescue operation. 

Both workers are Albanian nationals who live in Żebbuġ. A police spokesperson told Times of Malta that the worker who managed to escape the collapse suffered slight injuries in the incident.

Preliminary investigations suggest that part of the roof of the building's first floor gave way while workers were beneath it. 

No clearance for works  

The Building and Construction Authority, which regulates construction works, said works at the site were illegal as it had not been informed about them. 

"The works did not have full PA clearance and no BCA application was filed, meaning the works were not permitted," it said in a statement. 

The Occupational Health and Safety Authority also said it had not been notified of the works. 

What is the project?

The building is a 1920s, three-storey townhouse that is due to be expanded to be turned into a shared living space. The developer and architect obtained planning permission on March 26 to add a receded floor and extend existing ones. 

However, that permit stated that no works could commence onsite until the period in which objectors could appeal the March 26 decision had lapsed. Objectors typically have 30 days to file an appeal against a planning decision.

The site is being developed by Oratorian Capital, a company owned by Samuel Borg and Luca Miceli Demajo, with Darryl Cutajar as the architect. Borg declined to comment when contacted. Times of Malta was unable to contact Miceli Demajo or Cutajar.

Given that no commencement notice was filed for the site, Times of Malta was unable to identify the contractor responsible for the two injured workers.

'Call an ambulance'

A neighbour told Times of Malta that the site's project manager spoke to them three days ago to warn them that they would be hearing some noise over the next few days, as they were testing the load-bearing capabilities.

The neighbour said he then felt vibrations throughout the subsequent days. 

A rescue operation is under way.

Other neighbours reported feeling the shake of the roof collapse on Saturday morning.  

An eyewitness said he saw a worker run out of the building right after the collapse, shouting "call an ambulance".

A Times of Malta reporter saw parts of the building being propped up using ceiling jacks. Civil Protection Department officials set up a rescue tent in the middle of the road. A police forensics team was also seen on site.

A hearse carried the dead man's body away from the scene. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Magistrate Philip Galea Farrugia is leading an inquiry into the incident, the police said in a statement. 

It is the latest in a string of construction-related tragedies to hit Malta, and the first to involve fatalities since a public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia was published earlier this year. 

That inquiry, commissioned following the death of 20-year-old Sofia at a construction site in Corradino, found a litany of shortcomings in the way the construction sector is regulated and processes enforced. 

The government has since established a committee made up of various ministers, tasked with implementing the inquiry's many recommendations. 

Emergency crews at the building's entrance. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

According to official statistics, more than half of all workplace deaths in 2022 and 2023 were related to the construction industry. In a statement on Saturday, two Opposition MPs said the statistic was "another wake-up call" for the government. 

MPs Stanley Zammit and Ivan Castillo said authorities were dragging their feet and getting lost in red tape instead of bringing about the necessary change to fix problems. 

The statement paid tribute to the victim who died on Saturday and all those who lost their life or were injured "because of this failed system".

ADPD, the Green Party called on the BCA's enforcement officers to act proactively instead of reacting only when accidents happen. 

Party chair Sandra Gauci said: “This is a reflection of the couldn’t-care-less attitude that currently reigns in Malta, where everyone does as they please, as they know they will not suffer the consequences".