A month since MaltaToday reported the existence of an illegal Armed Forces of Malta explosives store in Nadur, Gozo, government has finally shut down the potentially catastrophic facility, and transported all the explosives and detonators to Fort Mosta.
Early last Friday, the AFM carried the remaining 875kg of high explosives and detonators from the Nadur site to safety in Malta as the Office of the Prime Minister finally decided to shut down the illegal site for good.
A spokesman confirmed the base will no longer be used to store explosives and that for the time being only Fort Mosta will be used for the purpose. “A new facility will be purposely built according to international safety standards,” the spokesman said, adding that the location has yet to be determined.
The prime minister had ordered AFM to conduct “a full review” of the situation at Nadur and to submit recommendations after MaltaToday exposed the potentially catastrophic conditions there.
Tons of high explosives were stored there near manned AFM facilities, public roads, cultivated land and residences on the outskirts of Nadur, despite clear warnings of impending catastrophe a decade ago.
Despite the AFM’s assurances that the explosives were stored according to British Army standards, it is clear this was not the case as the Defence Directorate in the OPM took immediate action to shut down the facility.
In fact, MaltaToday published correspondence sent as far back as 10 years ago between the OPM, AFM and the Gozo ministry outlining the problems of the illegal store and the need to relocate the explosives and detonators to a safe place, although the warning remained ignored since then.
Sources say the army has now proposed relocating the explosives next to the Gordan lighthouse – the same site proposed a decade ago.
In an internal memo sent in May 1998 by then Prime Minister Alfred Sant’s defence advisor Martin Scicluna to the AFM Commander, OPM was said to be “most concerned about the position (of the store) on the over-riding grounds of safety”.
In Scicluna’s own words, “the store contains at any one time some 4,000 to 5,000 kilograms of explosive and numerous detonators. The store is not purpose-built for ammunition storage (it is an ex-garage) and is not earthed against lightning strikes. It is situated in the middle of the camp. An explosion could have catastrophic consequences.”
The area is used as an army training camp where live ammunition is fired by soldiers in their exercises. The soldiers’ quarters and guard room are also situated very close to the garage.
“In our judgement, the safety aspect must be dealt with immediately,” Scicluna had added. “With small arms training and the use of pyrotechnics taking place in the area there is a risk which is not acceptable and should not be taken… the present location, slap in the middle of the living accommodation area, is unsafe and unacceptable.”
By April 2000, AFM was reporting that the “explosives dump is in need of maintenance and refurbishment”, urging “for the necessary works to be made at the earliest in order to ensure that health and safety considerations are kept paramount”.

kschembri@mediatoday.com.mt