The chairman of the Malta Developers Association, Sandro Chetcuti, expressed concern at yet another construction accident.
This morning, a wall of a block of apartments in Pieta collapsed next tio a building site.
Addressing journalists on site, he acknowledged that there is something wrong in the industry that needs to be tackled.
We need to discuss the situation immediately and our priority is to make sure that our citizens are protected, he said.
Chetcuti expressed shock that another building has collapsed, just a week after the Mellieha accident.
"Yes, yes, there is an issue and we will be meeting and discussing and investigating those building structures which already exist." He said that there needs to be more investigation whether construction and demolition can take place near existing buildings.
"As a group we will be pushing for stricter amendments which the government must follow when it comes to construction sites."
MDA statement
In an official statement, the Malta Developers Association said it is shocked with the news that another building adjacent to a site being developed has partly collapsed – this time in Pieta.
It is obvious that excavation works are being undertaken on sites without thorough investigations on the structural situation of party walls that are adjacent to proposed works and that the structural stability of such party walls cannot be taken for granted.
MDA joins the general public on the need that something must be urgently done about this issue.
In the light of such incidents, MDA will support any action taken by government on excavation works adjacent to existing buildings in order to safeguard public safety.
The authorities should urgently appoint a steering committee to draw up regulations in the case of all sites where buildings with party walls are to be demolished and replaced. These regulations will make mandatory the investigations required on the structural stability of existing buildings and the drawing up of method statements on how they will be safeguarded.
Ombudsman intervenes
The office of the Ombudsman, through its environment commissioner, has also written to the Prime Minister to ask for action following the latest accident.
The commissioner, Alan Saliba, pointed our that a number of laws are being broken within the construction industry, calling for criminal action to be taken against contractors who abuse.
The law lays down that a distance of 76 centimetres must be kept between excavations and walls of existing buildings, but it is clear that this law is being ignored.
Ombudsman letter