Residents of a Sliema apartment block are living in fear because builders working on a massive construction project next door have repeatedly smashed into their property.

In the latest incident on Monday, Joan Borg Cardona was shocked to find a gaping hole in her garage wall, caused by a digger excavating the site.

The 77-year-old and her 80-year-old husband live right beside construction works for the huge Townsquare development in the heart of Sliema, which, when completed, will include 159 apartments, retail areas, restaurants, offices and underground car parking.

“I get up to the noise... They start at around 7.30am and I think ‘oh here we go’,” Borg Cardona said.

“Just this week, we heard this very loud bang. We were terrified.

“It appears that a piece of concrete fell from one of the beams,” she added,  pointing to the massive site just below one of her balconies.

She and other residents, many of whom are older people shielding at home against COVID-19, are riddled with anxiety about their safety, she said.

Contractors for major construction firm Polidano recently dug right into garages underneath the apartments and workers had previously crashed into the complex under their homes.

“We are all elderly residents here and we are crying out for help. They’ve done so much damage that anything could happen. This isn’t one apartment we’re talking about. If the building collapses, so many people will get killed,” she said.

Despite alerting project CEO Peter Diacono to the issue, who, she noted, has been helpful and promises to take action, the problems persist. And when the couple turned to the authorities, such as the building regulations office and the police, they are advised to fend for themselves by seeking advice from architects and experts, Borg Cardona said.

A digger smashed a huge hole in the wall of a garage complex. Photos: Joan Borg Cardona

Her confidence in the authorities has been dented by a spate of home collapses next door to construction sites and the death, almost a year ago, of Miriam Pace, whose home in Ħamrun collapsed in seconds, burying her under the rubble.

She said she wakes up with a headache out of fear for her safety but refuses to be forced out of her home.

Responding to the claims, Diacono said the company had apologised to the residents for Monday’s incident.

“Despite having clear safety monitoring procedures and the required method statement in place, this unfortunate incident occurred because the contractor failed to adhere to the agreed instructions,” he said.

“We immediately issued a stop works notice and an inspection was carried out. The site technical officer has drawn up an incident report, which has already been submitted to the building and construction agency,” he said.

An additional supervisor has also been engaged and will be under the company’s direct supervision.

Diacono said he had sympathy for the residents. “I fully empathise with their concerns,” he said.

“We have been in constant contact with the residents to update them with the situation and to reassure them.

“We are also in the process of scheduling a meeting with the residents’ representatives before any further works in the area where the incident occurred proceed. I will remain in constant contact with the residents’ representatives to ensure their concerns are addressed immediately.

“We have also offered residents the opportunity to engage an architect of their choice at Townsquare’s expense to give them further peace of mind.”

A map of the Townsquare Project in the heart of Sliema. Photo: Townsquare Sliema/Malta.

Diacono said Monday’s damage has already been fixed but Borg Cardona said she was still concerned there might be more damage.

This is not the first time that works on the project have irked people residing in the area.

In April, the diggers at the massive site agreed to go silent after the company behind the project temporarily suspended the excavation work out of respect for homebound residents.

The decision was made after residents complained to the local council that incessant construction, excavation and demolition noise was wearing them down as they remained indoors due to the pandemic.

Excavation for the high-rise Townsquare project first began in late 2017 but was brought to a halt when an appeal forced the company to go back to the drawing board.

The Planning Authority approved the company’s revised plans in June 2019 and excavation resumed in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the island.

In a statement on Thursday, activist group Graffitti said the pleas by Joan Borg Cardona were disconcerting and showed that lessons of the past had not been heeded and the "assault is continuing." It called for action by the authorities.