Government ‘very concerned’ at Mellieha building collapse, says it is assisting victims

The government has said it is very concerned with the latest construction incident where a building in Mellieha came crashing down to the ground.

It said it had already intervened and was offering assistance to victims, emphasising that it would “continue to follow up and assist those involved in every possible way.”

In a statement after the news that a four-storey apart in Mellieha had collapsed to the ground - the second such incident in less than two months - the government insisted that it was “sensitive to these matters.”

The government said that it was “in the process” of setting up a new Construction and Building Authority, with the main objectives of consolidating whilst updating the legislation related to the building and construction industry.

“The existing responsibilities at law are clear,” the government underlined, “The new legislation will streamline such responsibilities under one single code so that the remit of all the stakeholders involved in any construction or building project including architects, engineers, contractors, project managers and project owners, amongst others, reflects new developments in this industry.”

Read also: Woman rescued from Mellieha four-storey building collapse

It said the updated legislation will also seek to review and define with clarity the third-party rights, including those of neighbours, within this aspect.  

“The government is sensitive to these matters and will strive to ensure that the rigorous process which is currently ongoing for the setting up of the new code will address all inconsistencies and include new provisions, where needed, in the best interest of the people,” it added.