There are now 12 people receiving medical treatment after yesterday's horrific crash during the Paqpaqli ghall-Istrina event after two patients were sent home this afternoon. 

In a statement issued this evening the government said four people remain in Intensive Care but three of them, including the six-year-old girl and her mother, are no longer in danger of dying. One person remains in critical condition. 

The government also said around a hundred people sought help from psychologists and psychoanalysts after the incident.

In total 28 people were injured after a Porsche supercar veered into the crowd during the charity event. Education Minister Evarist Bartolo told Parliament this evening that an Assistant Head of School and a student were among the injured. “Let this incident also be an occasion for the country to reflect. This country has a lot to learn to avoid the repetition of such incidents,” the Minister said.

Earlier today, Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne said the girl had shown signs of improvement. Speaking at the Paola health centre, Mr Fearne said that among those in the ITU is a man who suffered chest injuries and is to undergo surgery this morning. A fifth person who was originally in the ITU has been moved to another ward.

Mr Fearne told The Malta Independent that the most common injuries were head, torso, abdominal and internal injuries. “There were also a substantial number of fractures,” Mr Fearne said.

The Parliamentary Secretary thanked all medical staff who were involved in the aftermath of yesterday’s incident. He said doctors and nurses who were on stand-by reported to work immediately after the hospital issued a medical alert. A number of medical staff who were off-duty, some of whom were even at the Paqpaqli event, had also reported for work. The Floriana Health Centre was also put on stand-by but was not used. Two persons went to the Mosta Health Centre to seek medical treatment, raising the total number of injured to 28.

Mr Fearne also thanked the Civil Protection Department, the Police the Armed Forces of Malta and the Red Cross, who had worked seamlessly together. The ambulances made no less than 17 trips to and from hospital and everything ran smoothly. Doctors and Mater Deo and Paola worked round the clock to treat the wounded but protocols had been followed and everything was done in an orderly fashion, Mr Fearne said.  

He also thanked the court staff who are conducting an inquiry and the blood transfusion service.

The Parliamentary Secretary said the helplines remain open and the psychiatric and counselling service at Mater Dei could be extended beyond noon.

Asked if he thought that safety measures were inadequate, Mr Fearne said that he would not like to comment as a magisterial inquiry is under way. He declined to express his personal views when asked by this newsroom. Mr Fearne also said the inquiry would investigate who issued the permit for the event