A commuter was seriously injured after she was hit by a bus operated by Malta Public Transport in Sliema on Friday, after disembarking from another bus.

Police said in a statement later in the day that they were informed of the accident in Tower Road, Sliema, at 12:30pm.

Preliminary investigations showed that the victim was a 25-year-old Filipina who lives in Pieta. The person driving the bus meanwhile was a 51-year-old Filipino who lives in Hamrun.

The woman was taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance where she was certified as suffering from serious injuries.

 

Duty Magistrate Astrid May Grima is leading a magisterial inquiry while police investigations are ongoing.

Malta Public Transport had issued a statement right after the accident, and said that the company is following its emergency response plan, "which places the highest priority on health and safety. The emergency services were notified immediately and the company is providing all the necessary support for the competent authorities to carry out their investigations. The bus was operating route 13A in the direction towards Pembroke."

In a later statement, the company said: "With reference to the incident in Sliema, Malta Public Transport regrets this incident and maintains that safety remains its top priority. An internal investigation was launched as soon as the emergency services attended to the injured person. Initial investigations, including CCTV footage from on board the buses, indicate that the person involved in the accident crossed the road without looking at oncoming traffic. This happened after the person got off the bus at Chalet bus stop in Sliema, and proceeded to cross the road in front of the stopped bus. Unfortunately, the person was hit by another bus that was travelling in the same direction."