Overview
- A series of blasts began early Monday morning at the Ta' Lourdes fireworks factory in the Magħtab/Salina area, with a first explosion at about 6:35 a.m. followed by a second major blast and hours of smaller detonations.
- Two men working in nearby fields suffered minor injuries and were taken to Mater Dei Hospital, and police said no licensed factory workers were on site when the explosions occurred.
- The shockwave rattled homes across several localities, shattering windows, scattering debris, closing roads near Salini and causing reported damage to vehicles, buildings and farm infrastructure.
- The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warned British travellers to avoid the Magħtab/Mosta area while emergency crews secure the scene and deal with continuing detonations and unexploded material.
- Magistrate Joe Mifsud has opened a formal investigation and authorities are assessing cause and accountability, with the site’s previous large 2018 explosion cited by local reporting as context for safety concerns.