The Piccolo Padre restaurant’s terrace was empty when the overhanging Barracuda restaurant balcony came crashing down on top of it because the pizzeria was short-staffed on the night, with the management deciding to limit seating to the indoor area.

The tragedy would have been much worse if there were people dining in the lower terrace, so much so, that on Monday night, rescue crews rushed straight to the area, expecting to find people crushed in the debris. Their initial fears were allayed when a first response team established that the only victims were the ones who fell out of the collapsed structure.

Barracuda Restaurant and Piccolo Padre form part of the same building, with the former on top of the latter.

A 46-year-old woman was critically injured, having broken her pelvis in multiple places when she landed on the rocks below in very shallow waters. Seven others suffered injuries and many others had cuts and bruises. All the victims were French, and it is understood that the dinner party was celebrating an occasion.

(Photos above Jonathan Borg)

This newsroom contacted the owner of the Barracuda restaurant however he did not wish to give comments to the press, adding that they are trying to "move forward" after Monday’s incident.

The sound of the collapsing balcony was heard along the bay, witnesses describing the sound like “a clap of thunder”.  In fact, it was heard all the way from Spinola Bay where people thought that a collision involving heavy vehicles had taken place. A large crowd immediately gathered to see what had happened as assistance arrived within minutes.

The two restaurants involved in the incident will remain closed for the coming days. 

Eye-witness account

Accident report