Government also responsible for Med Conference Centre fire, wins only half of damages

A Judge today condemned two foreign companies to pay €6.7 million in damages to the Maltese government, for the fire which destroyed the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, in 1987, but slashed the amount to €3.3 million, as government was found equally responsible for not providing adequate fire fighting equipment to control such a blaze.

The case had been instituted in 1988 by the Office of the Prime Minister, the tourism ministry and Albert Agius Ferrante, as then chairman of the Mediterranean Conference Centre against the then Daihatsu (UK) -today MFPS Limited - who had organised a conference and hired the services of Laser Point Limited.

While finding responsibility for the fire, which was caused by using a laser pointed towards the stage curtain for a long time, causing it to catch fire.

The damages sustained to the conference centre were substantial, to the extent that the roof of the main hall collapsed.

In its considerations, the court noted that the Mediterranean Conference Centre had no fire curtain, and inadequate fire fighting equipment to control or isolate the blaze.

In handing judgement, the Court ruled that the total damages had reached €6.7 million, however it was condemning the foreign companies to only pay €3.3 million as the Maltese government had to shoulder the rest of the responsibility for lack of fire-fighting equipment.