Um el Faroud tragedy, 20 years ago

20 years have passed since nine dockyard workers were killed in an explosion on board a small Libyan tanker in the Drydocks.

The nine were working on the Libyan state-owned Um El Faroud tanker in Dock No. 3 when, at around 10:15pm, an explosion on board ripped the tanker’s central section.

Seven of the workers- George Aquilina, 24, of Qormi, Charles Callus, 46, of Valletta, Mario Hales, 39, of Mqabba, Simon Mifsud, 26, of Birgu, Simon Pisani, 22, of Msida, Angelo Sciberras, 51, of Zabbar,  and Anthony Vassallo, 29 of Dingli- died instantly.

The other two- Paul Seguna, 37, of Zebbug and George Xuereb, 58, of Qormi suffered grievous injuries, which they later succumbed to at St Luke’s Hospital.

While in the ambulance, Xuereb reportedly asked the medical staff what had happened to his co-workers.

The ship suffered severe structural damage too. An inquiry was launched and it resulted that the explosion occurred due to accumulated gas in one of the tanker’s holds. In 1998, when the inquiry was concluded, the ship was towed out to sea by Wied iz-Zurrieq for usage as an artificial shipwreck and a diving attraction. A brass plaque was stuck to the ship as a memorial to the nine workers.

With the tanker anchored to its final destination, it took four hours for workers to fill it up with enough water to sink it, a scene that was witnessed by thousands of people. 

In 2006, a heavy storm ripped the ship into two sections, right across the middle.