On this day, in 1993, nine dockyard workers were killed in an explosion on board a small Libyan tanker in the Drydocks.
The blast is believed to have been caused by an accumulation of gas which ignited at about 10.30 p.m., devastating the mid and bow sections of the 115-metre long vessel.
The 3,148-tonne Libyan tanker Um el Faroud exploded in Dock 3.
On that day, the Malta Financial Services Centre building at Mriehel was being inaugurated, but all of a sudden the top authorities were hurriedly called out and rushed to the Dockyard.
The victims were all working on the Libyan state-owned Um El Faroud tanker when, at around 10:15pm, an explosion on board ripped the tanker’s central section.
The victims were Carmelo Callus, 47, of Valletta, George Aquilina, 25, of Qormi, Simon Pisani, 22, of Msida, Simon Mifsud, 27, of Vittoriosa, Mario Hales, 40, of Mqabba, Angelo Sciberras, 52, of Żabbar, George Xuereb, 58, of Qormi, Paul Seguna, 37, of Żebbuġ, and Anthony Vassallo, 30, of Dingli.
Seven of the workers died instantly.
The other two suffered grievous injuries, and later died at St Luke’s Hospital.
While in the ambulance, Xuereb reportedly asked the medical staff what had happened to his co-workers.
Based on reports from the Malta Independent.
