Fifth fireworks victim succumbs to burns

These tragic accidents are becoming ever more frequent and the lack of serious monitoring of fireworks' factories practices are to blame. Where are the relevant authorities ? If there is no specific entity that surveys fireworks factories activity,then it is about time we have one. If things remain in status quo,then all we can expect is more explosions and unfortunately,more tragedies.

A Government appointed board of inquiry is a good idea but I doubt if it’s enough. If it takes as long as everything else seems to in Malta to reach any conclusions how many more will die? My suspicion is that the chemicals being used were bought from China for the simple reason that they were cheap. Like everything else that comes from China it can't be trusted. How many other factories have these same chemicals either stored or already made up? Does each factory source their own chemicals or do they get together and buy in bulk to get a better deal? If that's the case then other factories have the same problem waiting to happen. Continue with the board of enquiry but stop any further activity in factories and send in the AFM explosives experts to check this stuff out. If it's found to be unstable it should be destroyed on site. This madness has to stop before more poor souls suffer the same fate. I also can't understand how the village festivities committee can apply at this time for a new factory to be built? Have they no feelings for the dead and their grieving relatives? This is just sick!

If you want to know about the safety measures being taken in these so called fireworks factories (deathhouses would be more appopriate) take a look at the photograph at the top of another article by K.Stango Navarro in yesterdays Malta Today News Portal which shows a fireworks expert (???) worker handling fireworks in a supposed safe environment, and read what I had to say re the photo, and then comment on it,I would like to see what these so called experts have to say maybe even Charlon Mifsud would care to comment . I am not saying that this last tragedy happened because of what the unsafe things are in this photo,far from it ,who am I to judge but if this is the norm of what is going on in these death factories then I am sorry tat we have not heard the last explosion,may I be mistaken,I rather eat my words than some wife,mother or children be rendered widows or ophans.

Condolences and prayers for those who have died and their families. While I too enjoy the fireworks when I am there, it is still beyond belief that after all these years the government has not enforced strict laws regarding safety precautions. No job is danger free but it is hard to believe that the people who work in the factories are not only willing to take the risk but also do things that create even more risks. We have the same fireworks/bombs in the US and we don't have explosions that cause injury or death. We just have laws that companies and the employees have to abide by in order to create the beautiful fireworks. Hopefully, even though it should have been done many years ago, the government and the people will finally wake up and realize that something needs to be done.

What they need to do is not investigate the quality of the material ( it went off so in my opinion it works) but bring in outside professionals to teach these fire works factory makers how to take precautions, safety measures and rules to abide by! First rule : People who are not working there or making them shouldn't be near the site or in there!!! Fireworks are like a loaded gun it will go off when you least expect it! Not sure if you have these in the island but you need regulations and laws!!! Kids from the villages helping prep fireworks for there feast is a big NO!! If you need proof go look on all the villages facebook pages in Gozo and you will see kids and teens helping them!! This is not some movie were they need extras helping!!! Another tragedy in the making!!! Also all the accidents that occur mostly are from careless choices!

I think that the material the fireworkers are using is defected it's impossible that this year 5 house were blown and the last 2 were blown when they were transfering the work that was ready something wrong with the material there is for SURE The inquiry must be publised not the people everytime after an inquirey we knew NOTHING

How responsible was this mother-to-be, to go to such a dangerous place as a fireworks factory? How resonsible was this father, to put the livelihood of his family in jeopardy, by going to such a place? Where is responsibility? Don't we know how absoultely dangerous it is to meddle and work with fireworks? When is this craziness going to stop? We can do without this 'luxury'. We can do without bombs. It's not that we don't want them. It's that we can do without them. They are not that important. So, why waste your life in this manner? Now the Government appears to have woken up from its slumber and is going to create a commission to study materials. In the meantime, more precious lives have been lost.