[WATCH] Update 2 | Explosion in Għargħur: man injured

A man was seriously injured in a powerful explosion that rocked the village of Għargħur on Wednesday afternoon.

The victim was identified as Kevin Ellul, 43, known as id-double zero. He was rushed to Mater Dei hospital and initial reports suggest the explosion was caused by a bomb. The police are treating the area as  a crime scene.

Sources told MaltaToday that Ellul was still conscious when rescuers found him. A man believed to have been accompanying the victim remained on site and was spoken to by the police.

The explosion happened in Triq l-Isqof Gargallo just as the man was entering a room in his farmhouse. Apart from the victim, there were also some animals inside the building.

The farmhouse forms part of a large field and the man is not understood to live there. Sources said the man was often in his field in the evening.

Police, ambulances, the civil protection department and the army's bomb disposal unit are on site.

Eye witnesses said they did not see any fire in the area but the windscreens of two cars were shattered.

Duty Magistrate Audrey Demicoli is on site.