(STL.News) After a suspected explosion destroyed a building site in Bidnija, police opened an investigation.
Around 5.45 pm on Friday, 4th November, the site’s owners called the police to report the event after noticing several structural issues with the building.
Initial investigations indicated that some form of the blast may have been responsible for the damages. Thus, the Explosives Ordnance Disposal section of the Armed Forces of Malta was dispatched to the scene.
Magistrate Lara Lanfranco is in charge of investigating the incident and has enlisted the help of several experts.
According to the authorities, no one was hurt in the event.
Bidnija Sheep Farm Made News Headlines Several Weeks Before the Explosion
The farm in question made headlines a few weeks before the incident when journalists revealed that the developers of what has been referred to as a “two-story sheep farm” were looking to take in different commercial uses, including educational agri-experience zones, two guest rooms, a retail store, and a tasting center.
During the last week of October 2022, Moviment Graffitti requested support from the public in its legal protest against controversial plans to convert a Bidjna “sheep farm” into a home, store, and guesthouse.
According to Moviment Graffiti, the new application exposed the true motives behind the already-approved application, which led to the construction of a gigantic two-story structure, equipped with a pool and a reception room, in ODZ, under the guise of a sheep farm.
The activists said it has always been evident that this structure was not meant for its original function and that the people in charge obtained approval through a series of fabrications, falsehoods, and mistakes.
The sheep farm, which received approval in February 2019, has long been divisive, and opponents have claimed that the idea was a pretext for more construction in the undeveloped region.
It occupies a sizable 3,200 square meters in Wied tal-??ejjen, a location inside ODZ.
The updated farm plans would put adult sheep, chicken, and rabbit cages, a lambing station, a milking parlor, several fodder stores, and a dairy production center, on the lower ground floor. But the upper levels would have a kitchen, store, residence, therapy and education space, exhibitions and tastings, two guest rooms, and a dining area.
The application also included three steel-framed skylights and solar panels, which were already in place before the explosion. Site images showed the entrance had a massive timber gate, and the building was finely finished with polished limestone pavements and glass windows-filled archways.
Peter Bernard Carbonaro submitted the updated plans on behalf of Konrad Bezzina’s Bidnija Farming Enterprise Ltd.
Moviment Graffitti cautioned against the proposal, saying it will affect the ecologically vulnerable area. The group further demanded that the building be torn down immediately and that the developer pays for restoring the area to its natural state.
Another activist group, BirdLife Malta, joined the concerns of Moviment Graffitti by opposing Bidnija’s farm’s new proposal. BirdLife Malta asked for the entire complex to be torn down to restore the area to its natural state.
The group said the application was a disservice to the nation and a hindrance to Malta and Gozo’s collective welfare. They also said it was past time for the Planning Authority and the related Ministers to acknowledge that the planning laws permit the erasure of the natural habitat to enable people to line their own pockets.
Compensation for Workplace Explosion-Related Injuries
Industrial accidents frequently result in several workers being killed or wounded and can be catastrophic for everyone concerned. These mishaps also frequently receive much media coverage, which frequently sparks calls for accountability from the general population. Unfortunately, while this might encourage businesses to fix the mistakes that caused the explosion, it doesn’t always ensure that wounded workers receive just compensation.
You might be eligible for compensation if an explosion at work wounded you or a loved one. An explosion accident attorney from Wieand Law Firm, LLC can help you deal with explosion-related incidents.
Fortunately, no injury occurred during the Bidnija farm explosion, but the authorities continued investigating the incident.