Updated | Floriana roof collapse: Two workers in hospital, accident ‘evident from day one’

Two construction workers are in hospital after the roof of a home in Floriana collapsed on Friday.

A spokesperson told MaltaToday that the two men, Albanian nationals, were working on a construction site when they jumped on a neighbouring roof.

Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday

This caused the roof of the house to collapse, including the ceilings of the two floors beneath them.

After the three-storey fall, the workers were taken to hospital. They were later certified as grievously injured.

Police, BCA and OHSA officials are on site.

The owners of the house were not on site at the time of collapse.

Police and OHSA investigations are still ongoing, as magistrate Antoine Agius Bonnici has launched an inquiry.

Roof collapse ‘evident from day one’

Corinne Farrugia, one of the grandchildren of the owners, told MaltaToday that it was “evident from the start” that the contractors next door were being negligent. She said works wouldn’t be carried out with the proper materials, and on one occasion, the family found a hole in the roof of the house.

“Our architect spoke with the BCA and other authorities but never got anywhere,” she said.

Farrugia said her grandparents were moved out of the house because they felt something like this was bound to happen.

“In 2020 the site was excavated. In 2022 the existing owner took over and started construction. It was evident from the start that they were being negligent.”

The construction site is being developed into an apartment building by Neville Agius. Architect Elena Borg Costanzi is overseeing the projects. The BCA cleared the works in September 2022.

This is the second house collapse in less than a week, after another Albian worker died when a roof collapsed at a Sliema property.

The victim was identified as Bari Balla, a father of six.