A horse pulling a traditional karozzin collapsed and died in Floriana on Wednesday afternoon.

The incident happened in St Francis Street, which leads up from the harbour to the War Memorial, at around 1pm on Wednesday.  Witnesses said that the horse stood on its hind legs and seconds later collapsed and died.

The karozzin was carrying tourists at the time.

The police went on site and some traffic congestion was reported as a result of the incident.

In a reaction, parliamentary secretary Clint Camilleri expressed his concern and said he had sent vets and animal welfare officers to determine the precise facts which led to the horse's death.

He said he will be following matters closely so that such incidents are reduced. "There is a need for a revision of laws regulating karozzini," he said.

This is the second case of a horse collapsing in less than a week after a mare also pulling a karozzin collapsed on Saturday afternoon. 

The Animal Welfare Department examined the mare after its fall and concluded that it had not suffered from serious injuries and there was no sign of animal cruelty.

A protest is being held on Saturday for the ban of traditional Maltese karozzini with Animal rights activists saying that horses should not be used for the amusement of tourists, especially during the hot summer months.