Nine youths have been arrested by police for allegedly setting fire to the abandoned St. Philip’s Hospital in Santa Venera.

Police said on Tuesday that they were told that some youths had entered the abandoned building and started fires in some of the rooms at around 3pm on Monday.

Police from the Rapid Intervention Unit went on site and found nine youths aged between 15 and 20 years old leaving the building and were subsequently apprehended.

Members of the civil protection department were called in to control the fires.

Magistrate Monica Vella is leading an inquiry, while police investigations are still ongoing.