A 57-year-old man from St Paul's Bay was seriously injured this morning following a traffic accident on Triq ix-Xatt in Sliema.

The accident occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m. while the man was unloading items from an Isuzu Elf van, the police said.

According to initial police reports, he was hit by a Peugeot 3008 driven by a 42-year-old Libyan national residing in Birkirkara.

Emergency services were called to the scene immediately, and a medical team provided first aid before transporting the victim to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance.

Medical professionals later certified that his injuries are of a serious nature.

Magistrate Dr. Monica Borg Galea has opened a formal inquiry.

Police investigations into the circumstances of the accident are currently ongoing.