Updated | Grass fire in St Paul's Bay prompts alarming Facebook post

Updated at 5pm with Water Services Corporation statement

A Facebook post on popular forum The Salott on Sunday read that a Mellieha explosion was followed by fires and several power cuts. 

The post has since then been amended to read that the incident took place at the St Paul's Bay bypass not Louis Wettinger Street in Mellieha. 

The original Facebook post read that the fires had started in Mellieha, not St Paul's Bay

The Civil Protection Department told MaltaToday that the fire at St Paul's Bay is just a grass fire, likely caused by excessive heat. 

A fire engine went on site to put down the small fire.

It dispelled the post's claim that it was extremely dangerous to drive through and that an explosion is what caused the fire although the picture posted shows three separate smoke trails.

Facebook users commenting on the post claim that there are powercuts in Qawra, Bugibba, Xemxija and Burmarrad.

Police claimed that they had received no reports of an explosion at the time of writing. 

Crucial infrastructure down — Water Services Corporation

The confirmation that power cuts are indeed being experienced in the north of Malta came from a statement the Water Services Corporation made on Sunday.

"The WSC would like to notify that crucial infrastructure in the north of Malta is currently down to accidental power cuts," the statement read, though it did not elaborate on how the power cuts came to be.

The WSC added that due to this issue, sewage pumping stations in the St Paul's Bay area may overflow and that there might be pressure issues in terms of water supply.

"Enemalta has already done an excellent job in restoring partial supply to the Cirkewwa Reverse Osmosis, so the situation should start normalising soon," it assured. 

People who were swimming in the area were urged to get back on shore due to risks of drainage overflow.