Qormi bomb's blast radius of 150m 'far more powerful' than Transport Malta device

Updated at 5:51pm with clarification on bomb disposal and connection to Transport Malta.

Informed sources have told MaltaToday that the bomb was designed to cause serious damage and injuries as it was packed with 800 grammes of explosives. The steel pipe casing would have splintered and caused severe injury.

Police sources have explained that the bomb was discovered late this morning in an abandoned factory in Tal-Handaq, limits of Qormi after the police were tipped-off.

Bomb disposal experts told MaltaToday that the bomb was potentially "far more powerful" than the bomb planted last Friday at Transport Malta offices that injured 75-year-old transport expert Major Peter Ripard.

"The blast radius is believed to have been 150 metres, such was its strength," the sources said.

MaltaToday is informed that AFM bomb experts spent the last hours handling the explosive device and detonating it in a secure area. The AFM's explosive ordinance disposal unit are investigating the bomb's make-up, and whether the bomb is similar to recent bomb attacks.

The sources said it was still "too early in the day" to attribute this bomb to the perpetrators of the bomb that maimed Ripard at Transport Malta.

The bomb was discovered early this afternoon inside an old and abandoned tomato processing factory in Tal-Handaq, limits of Qormi.

Informed sources have told MaltaToday that the discovered bomb could have been either abandoned or hidden inside the factory as to let time pass over the investigations into last Friday's attack on Transport Malta, or that whoever manufactured it was waiting for his next victim.

AFM, Civil Protection and emergency services rushed to the scene, while bomb disposal experts were engaged for hours to secure the area and detonate the device.

A number of residents were evacuated from their homes for a number of hours.