Mario Dimech, known as il-Bigillu, is being presumed as the sole victim of a fireworks factory explosion which occurred at around 3pm in Dwejra, limits of Mosta.

The explosion of the Santa Marija 15 August fireworks factory saw scores of residents from Mosta and surrounding villages rush out of their houses, which shook after three loud bangs were practically heard from all over Malta.

It is still unclear how the explosion happened, although witnesses who were present at the scene said that a group of men were loading some fireworks onto a truck which was intended to transport the fireworks to a nearby field, for the fireworks to be let off today or tomorrow evening, when the feast of Santa Marija in Mosta was expected to be in its pomp. The external celebrations marking the feast of Santa Marija in Mosta have now been cancelled.

Just as the men were loading the fireworks, there was an explosion that was heard from several localities as far apart as Nadur and Marsascala.

Trees which surrounded the fireworks factory fell, and debris flew, as the building collapsed into pieces.

The streets leading to the area were clogged with traffic shortly after the explosion, amid fears that several fireworks enthusiasts, preparing for the feast were trapped inside the building. Mistaken reports on news portals, that at one point claimed that three people had died, added to the panic.

The police tried everything to calm the situation down, and had several altercations with people who wanted to get as near the fireworks factory as possible to check whether their loved ones were safe, with mobile phone lines jamming at one point because of the large amount of people calling and sending text messages.

Among those present on site there were Acting Prime Minister Tonio Borg, Deputy Opposition leader Anglu Farrugia, and MPs Michael Farrugia, David Agius and Edwin Vassallo, together with entrepreneur Zaren Vassallo, who is president of the band club associated with the fireworks factory in question.

By 3.15pm, the fireworks factory was still churning out thick black smoke, and several small explosions were still taking place, making it difficult for the rescue people to work their way on site.

At around 3.45pm, a man who was in the area at the time walked down from the site of the explosion – the fireworks factory is at the top of a hillock – and approached the crowd which had gathered at the foot of the hill.

He said he was certain that several people were in the area at the time of the blast, but was unsure whether anyone was injured or not.

Shortly afterwards, news filtered through that the only person who could not be traced was Mario Dimech, a fervent enthusiast of the Mosta feast. Several ambulances went on site but no one was reported to have been taken to hospital, police sources said. At 7.30pm police issued a statement saying that “probably there was a man inside the fireworks factory when the explosion occurred”. At 9pm police issued another statement saying that searches in the area will resume this morning.

This was the first time ever the Santa Marija 15 August fireworks factory took sole responsibility for the feast’s fireworks for two years running.

This was after another fireworks factory associated with the Mosta feast decided against producing fireworks after one of their most active members died in another fireworks factory explosion last October.

Mario Farrugia, 26, was making fireworks for the St Mary’s Fireworks Factory of Mosta in Ras il-Wied, in the limits of Bidnija, when the accident happened in October last year. He spent a number of days in hospital before succumbing to his injuries.

This was the fourth fireworks factory explosion this year. Two people lost their lives in an explosion at the St Sebastian fireworks factory close to Qormi in February, and another man died in an explosion at a fireworks factory in an area between Zejtun and Marsaxlokk in May.

There were no casualties in another explosion at the Gharghur fireworks factory in April.