Naxxar Evacuations: Ten Families in Limbo Amid Collapse Fears

In the quiet, residential street of Triq l-Imqabba, Naxxar, an eerie silence hung heavy in the air last night. Ten families, totaling around 40 people, were abruptly evacuated from their homes, not due to a fire or flood, but because the ground beneath their feet was crumbling away.

At around 8 PM, residents heard a sudden, ominous rumble. The earth beneath their homes, adjacent to a construction site, began to shift. Panic set in as cracks appeared in walls, and chunks of earth tumbled down the cliff face. Emergency services were swiftly called, and within minutes, the evacuation order was issued.

The construction site in question is a long-abandoned project, located at the end of Triq l-Imqabba, near the Naxxar parish church. The site, owned by local developer Joseph Xuereb, has been a source of contention among residents for years, with complaints of poor planning and environmental disregard.

Xuereb, when reached for comment, stated, “We are cooperating fully with the authorities. Safety is our top priority. We are conducting our own investigation into the cause of the incident.”

The evacuated families spent the night in temporary accommodation provided by the Naxxar Local Council. The mood was tense, with many families unsure of what the morning would bring. “We’ve lost everything,” said Maria, a mother of three. “Our home, our belongings, our sense of security. It’s like our world has been turned upside down.”

Naxxar Mayor, Doris Vella, visited the families, promising immediate assistance and reassuring them that their safety was the top priority. “We are doing everything in our power to resolve this situation as quickly as possible,” she said.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) has launched an investigation into the incident. Experts are on site, assessing the stability of the ground and the potential causes of the collapse. The site has been temporarily closed, and all construction work has been halted pending the outcome of the investigation.

Meanwhile, the evacuated families await news with bated breath. They hope that their homes can be saved and that they can return to their normal lives. As one resident put it, “We just want to go home. This is our community, our neighborhood. We’ve built our lives here. We can’t just pick up and leave.”