Around 75% of the 340,000 emergency calls received by the 112  hotline last year were hoaxes, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said on Friday.

The minister said the emergency hotline should not be misused as people's lives were at stake.

There were 260,000 calls made to the hotline which were not emergencies.

Although the emergency number is managed by the police, the calls are forwarded to the necessary department such as the civil protection department, army and ambulance service.

Camilleri explained how misusing the 112 number could cost the life of someone, as other people might be waiting to use the service.

Education Minister Clifton Grima together with Camilleri were invited to speak during the 112-Day, dedicated event at the Żabbar Primary School.

Out of all request calls, the most common one was for paramedics, making up 77% out of the 83,000 calls that were classified as genuine for the year 2021.

The rest of the percentage was split, with 11% being diverted to the police, 10% to the civil department and the remaining to the armed forces.

The Minister for Education explained how it is essential to educate children from a young age regarding this important emergency number, as they need to know what it is used for in case they experience an emergency. Despite this, he urged them to use it wisely.