A powerful explosion caused considerable damage at the home of police inspector Geoffrey Azzopardi in Zurrieq early this morning.

No one was hurt by the blast, which occurred at 4.45a.m, and was seemingly a result of explosive material that was placed on the doorstep of the police officer's residence, the police said in a statement.

The inspector and his family - his wife and three young children - were at home but apart from shock, they were unhurt.

People living nearby said that they heard a loud noise "like fireworks", and some thought that a fireworks factory had blown up.

Inspector Azzopardi works in the CID Department as is also a law student at the University.

The windows of houses nearby were damaged in the blast, and one neighbour said that the perpetrators did not think what collateral damage they would be doing. "They did not think that other people could have been seriously hurt," he said.

Government employees spent the morning collecting the debri and loading it into a police van as it could possibly contain clues to help in the investigation.

The police forensic team are sifting through the debris to possibly locate bomb parts.

Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia, who is abroad on government duty, was informed of the incident at 5.30am and immediately made contact with Inspector Azzopardi. In a tweet he condemned the incident and said that violence against public officers is unacceptable and must be punished.

In a statement issued later, the minister condemned the violent act, saying that an attack against a public officer is a cowardly and vile attack against the whole state and therefor the state must defend its own officers and safeguard their security.

He said he will be doing his utmost for the perpetrators to be caught.

In another statement, Acting Police Commissioner Raymond G. Zammit strongly condemned this personal attack on Inspector Geoffrey Azzopardi while expressing his solidarity with him and his family.

He emphasised that intensive investigations are underway in order to bring those behind the explosion to justice and pointed out that the attack could have had worse, if not fatal, consequences.

Mr Zammit appealed for any information, even in confidence, which may assist with solving this shocking case.

Nationalist Party spokesman Jason Azzopardi also condemned the incident, saying that he hoped that those who planted the bomb will get caught and are punished accordingly.

Alternattiva Demokratika, the Malta Police Association and the General Workers Union all expressed solidarity with the police inspector and his family.

 

Photos Paul Jones