‘We have learnt nothing’: Building’s partial collapse renews call for action

The partial collapse of a building onto a parked car in the Bulebel industrial estate earlier this week has reignited concerns over construction safety and government oversight, drawing comparisons to the tragedy of Jean Paul Sofia.

The incident, first highlighted by Nationalist Party MP Mark Anthony Sammut on social media, revealed precariously placed bricks still swaying in the wind as the structure continued to deteriorate.

“Last week, the prime minister boasted in parliament that he had implemented all the recommendations from the inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia,” Sammut stated, insisting that no lessons had been learnt from past tragedies.

Sammut also criticised the response from both the police and INDIS Malta, the government agency responsible for industrial parks and related facilities.

“The police arrived, INDIS officials arrived, took a couple of photos, and left everything as it was,” he remarked, questioning the level of enforcement and accountability in such cases.

While he refrained from naming the company responsible for the project, multiple sources have confirmed to The Shift that the contractor involved was Bonnici Bros—a company frequently in the spotlight for securing multi-million-euro government contracts.

They include a €4.6 million tender award for the development of a park in Marsaskala, a €13 million shooting range project at Ta’ Kandja,  a €37 million ‘temporary power station’ and a €600 million incinerator on which the tender remains in dispute.

Architects consulted by The Shift attributed the partial collapse of the Bulebel building to improper construction techniques. They explained that the contractor was supposed to infill walls (by pouring concrete into the bricks) before casting the roof. Instead, it seems both processes were carried out simultaneously, leading to structural failure.

The site in question is the Gutenberg factory in Bulebel, which was granted a permit to demolish and reconstruct the existing structure, increasing its built footprint and height.

Despite the scale of the project, the permit was approved through a Development Notification Order (DNO)—a fast-track process initially designed for minor alterations and additions to existing buildings without requiring a full planning permit.

Under the Labour administration, the DNO procedure has been significantly expanded to include large-scale developments in industrial estates, among other projects. Critics argue that this policy shift has led to lax oversight and inadequate scrutiny of construction projects.

The collapse has once again fuelled debate over construction standards and regulatory enforcement, with growing calls for stricter oversight to prevent further accidents.