In the quiet early hours of Wednesday morning, residents of Żabbar were startled by a sudden, loud crash. A stone balcony, perched above the entrance of a bungalow on Triq id-Dukkar, had collapsed without warning, sending heavy debris tumbling onto the pavement below. Fortunately, no one was passing by at the time, and there were no injuries. However, a car parked just outside the house suffered minor damage from the falling rubble.
Police arrived swiftly at the scene, securing the area and assessing any immediate dangers. A structural engineer was also dispatched to evaluate the stability of the unoccupied residence, ensuring there was no further risk of collapse. While incidents like these are rare, what made this one particularly alarming was that it was the third of its kind to occur in just a matter of days.
Earlier that same morning, another collapse had been reported in Mosta, where the roof of an old house caved in. That property happened to be located next to a construction site, raising immediate concerns about whether nearby excavation work had played a role. Authorities initially halted construction in the area, only to later lift the stoppage after further inspections.
Just two days prior, in Qawra, yet another structural failure made headlines. Two balconies came crashing down onto a well-known bar below. Fortunately, the establishment was closed at the time, preventing what could have been a serious disaster. Unlike in the Mosta case, officials wasted no time in ordering a suspension of construction work on a nearby apartment block while investigations got underway.
However, what sets the Żabbar incident apart is the apparent lack of a nearby construction site. While other recent collapses had clear potential links to ongoing building works, this case remains more of a mystery. The cause of the structural failure is still unknown, and authorities are continuing their investigations.
With three such incidents occurring in the span of a single week, concerns are mounting over the safety of aging buildings and whether ongoing construction practices could be contributing to a broader issue. Residents and officials alike are now watching closely, waiting for answers—and hoping that another collapse doesn’t happen before they get them.
