Gharb children treated for trauma after factory explosion

Residents told MaltaToday that the explosion scared children to the extent that some had to be referred to the Gozo clinic for therapy as they couldn’t sleep. A few were reported to have stammered with the fright.

The explosion – that so far has claimed five people’s lives – happened at 6:30pm, a time when children were playing in their family gardens.

“The explosion was so powerful that the earth shook and window frames just came out of their casings and glass panes went crashing to the floor,” one resident told MaltaToday.

“Children just froze in those terrible moments the three explosions rocked the whole place,” he said.

Gharb Mayor David Apap explained that the explosion has left a tremendous phsycological impact on children, some of which were referred to the Gozo clinic for attention.

He said that approximately 13 people from Gharb lodged a report with the police over the damages have suffered to their households because of the explosion, while others reported the trauma suffered by their children.

A number of tourists residing in complex close to Gharb also referred their children to doctors.

Meanwhile, the Gharb local council resolved to call for a referendum among residents to decide on whether to pursue the granting of a new permit to a fireworks factory in the Ta’ Dmitri area, just a stone’s throw away from where last Sunday’s explosion occurred.

The area was host to three fireworks factories and is now left with two. The owner of one of them has been rumoured to be mulling shutting down his operation following the tragic end of his friends and colleagues.

While experts continued yesterday to sieve through the debris scattered all around the San Dmitri area where the Farrugia Fireworks factory once stood, preparations are underway for the victim’s funerals.