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2 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 14 OCTOBER 2026 NEWS 'I warned them two months ago': Tarxien shop owner speaks out after road collapse Stephen Schembri, who owns the shop Meme's Fleuriste in Tarxien square, says he had raised concerns about the ongoing works months before the road collapse, as he questions why no one from the authorities approached him since the incident A shop owner whose business stands just a pavement away from the road that collapsed in Tarxien on Monday says he had warned about the danger two months ago, but his concerns were not addressed. Stephen Schembri, who owns Meme's Fleuriste, told Malta- Today he has been complain- ing about the prolonged infra- structural works for months, and no one from the authori- ties has approached him since the collapse, despite the uncer- tainty now facing his business. "Two months ago, I asked them to look into what was happening here because it was dangerous. Christmas is ap- proaching, and people will be coming to the area," he said. Schembri also claimed those carrying out the works were aware of an underground water reservoir in the area, which has long been used by residents, in- cluding elderly people who still collect water from it. He questioned whether suffi- cient studies had been carried out before excavation began, saying he was concerned about the stability of the surrounding area. On Monday morning, part of the road near Tarxien's parish church collapsed during ongo- ing infrastructural works, leav- ing a massive hole where a bus stop once stood. An excavator was left partly submerged in water beneath the road. 'I thought my shop was going to collapse too' Recounting the moments of the collapse, Schembri said his employee, Karen Grixti, called him in tears as the road began giving way. "Karen called me crying, tell- ing me the road was collaps- ing. At that moment, I thought my shop was going to collapse too," he said. "I rushed to the shop. One moment there was a small hole, and the next it had become what you see today." Grixti also showed MaltaTo- day works being carried out in the immediate vicinity of the shop, where material was being removed and disposed of in a skip. She expressed fears that the works could cause further parts of the area to collapse, particularly given the uncer- tainty over what lies beneath the road. Schembri said that despite the incident occurring just out- side his business, nobody from the authorities had approached him to explain what would hap- pen next or offer assistance. "My problem is that nobody has come to speak to us. Not a minister, not anyone respon- sible. Nobody has approached us since yesterday," he said. "All I wanted was for someone to speak to me in the previous months. At least offer me an- other shop where I can contin- ue working." Schembri said he had in- vested €85,000 in building his business from scratch and now fears that the situation could threaten his livelihood. "I am self-employed, but in- stead of helping the self-em- ployed, they destroy us. If this were a big business, they would help," he said. He also expressed frustration at being passed from one per- son to another whenever he tried to raise his concerns. The disruption is already af- fecting the day-to-day running of his business. Schembri said five pallets of stock were due to arrive at his shop on today, but he was unable to bring them inside because of the situation outside. He said he had previously been told that the infrastruc- tural works would be complet- ed by December and that con- crete was supposed to be laid on Monday according to what they told him. Schembri also alleged that a contractor began laughing when he and Grixti were pan- icking over the collapse. The shop owner said the pro- longed disruption, uncertain- ty and lack of communication were also taking a psychologi- cal toll. "People talk about mental health, but these are the things that are destroying people," he said. Authorities investigating collapse Works in the area began in August 2025 but were sus- pended for three months this year due to the village feast. Infrastructure Malta had pre- viously confirmed that the pro- ject would not meet its original completion deadline of De- cember 2026. In a statement following Mon- day's incident, Infrastructure Malta said it was coordinating directly with the Occupation- al Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), the Building and Con- struction Authority (BCA), and other competent authorities. The agency said it was pro- viding the necessary support and cooperation to technical experts to assess the situation and determine what measures were required to ensure the safety and stability of the sur- rounding area. It added that any further in- terventions would be carried out cautiously and in accord- ance with technical assess- ments and instructions from the relevant authorities. "Safety of workers, residents and the public remains the highest priority," Infrastruc- ture Malta said. The OHSA and BCA also confirmed that they were in- vestigating the incident to es- tablish its cause and assess any remaining risks. Tarxien parish priest Christo- pher Ellul had told MaltaToday on Monday that works were underway to ensure there was no risk of further damage to the nearby church. No injuries were reported in the collapse. Stephen Schembri (inset) owns a business close to where the road collapsed on Monday (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) JAELLE BORG jborgmediatoday.com.mt