A man was injured earlier today when a ceiling on which he was working collapsed during demolition works in Triq il-Qrendi, Żurrieq.

The police said the 59-year-old man from Zabbar was using machinery when the structure collapsed at around 10.45am. He was taken to hospital with grievous injuries.

The accident occurred while workers were carrying out the removal of ceilings inside a building, a joined statement by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) said.

For reasons that are still unclear, one of the ceilings gave way, causing the man to fall and sustain injuries. He was assisted at the scene and later taken for medical treatment. 

The BCA and the OHSA were immediately on site and are assisting in the investigations being carried out as part of a Magisterial Inquiry led by Magistrate Franco Agius. Both authorities have also launched their own parallel investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

As a precautionary measure, all works at the site have been ordered to stop until the necessary investigations are completed and it is deemed safe for activity to resume.

The BCA and OHSA reiterated the importance of reporting unsafe practices through the national helpline 138.

Raġel ta’ 59 sena residenti Ħaż-Żabbar, weġġa’ wara li sfronda saqaf ta’ residenza waqt li kienu qed isiru xi xogħlijiet fuqu. L-inċident seħħ għall-ħabta tal-ħdax neqsin kwart ta’ dalgħodu (1045hrs), fi Triq il-Qrendi, iżŻurrieq. Ir-raġel kien qiegħed fuq saqaf b’makkinarju żgħir. Fuq il-post marru l-Pulizija, kif ukoll membri mid-Dipartiment tal-Protezzjoni Ċivili u tim mediku, li wara li nħareġ mill-post, ittieħed l-isptar b’ambulanza. Aktar tard huwa ġie ċċertifikat li qed isofri minn ġrieħi gravi. Bil-każ ġie infurmat il-Maġistrat Dr Franco Agius LL.D li ħatar inkjesta, mgħejjun minn esperti sabiex jassistuh.