Have our newspapers died on us, or were they never alive to begin with?
I am sick to the back teeth of our newspapers’ total inability (reluctance?) to follow up a story. They report only the obvious and don’t follow up on leads.
They never tie up the loose ends to give us the total picture.
They rarely synthesise on-going sagas – like the Sliema mayor/fairylights brouhaha – or put them into context, so that readers are left bewildered by a plethora of statements and counter-statements.
But this? This really is the frigging limit.
After the Dwejra (not Mosta) fireworks factory blew up last month, somebody involved in the business was quoted by one newspaper as saying that the reason for the spate of explosions this year is the poor quality of one of the chemicals used.
The fireworks manufacturers do not import their own chemicals but buy them from merchants who import them. This particular chemical, he said, is now being imported from China, where quality control is dubious, because it is cheaper and more profit can be made.
Did any newspaper even bother to follow up on this, find out who the importers are and question them – publicly – about the source and quality of the chemicals they sell to fireworks manufacturers?
Did they hell.
Did they even bother to uncover the fact that one of the two main importers is Saviour Muscat, whose son is the leader of the opposition?
As if.
Even if they knew, they certainly didn’t tell anyone. In God’s name, why not? The line that the son has nothing to do with the father certainly does not apply here.
The son has everything to do with the father in this case, because the son is a major legislator and the public is calling out for stiffer control of fireworks manufacturing, which will directly affect the father, who makes his money this way and passes that money – or will pass it – on to his only son.
Last night’s was the fifth destructive explosion this year alone. Another four people have died and another two have been seriously injured. The formal inquiries seem never to lead anywhere. We need to have our minds put at rest that nobody is being protected, that the reason these inquiries are never published has nothing to do with what might be one recurrent name.
More to the point, the Labour leader is the very same one who has made a brief career out of screaming for transparency. Perhaps it is time he turns transparent himself.
People have been clamouring for years for reform of the fireworks manufacturing system, and after this latest unpleasantness the pressure will increase. The government cannot even begin to think of any such reform without the full cooperation of the opposition, or – like bird-shooting and trapping – it will turn into a battleground of electoral blackmail and we won’t get anywhere.
How cooperative is the opposition going to be when this is how the leader’s father makes his living, and when it was the proceeds of fireworks chemicals that paid for the house with a swimming-pool that the Labour leader had given to him in his 20s by that same father?
While he takes a cruise on the MSC Splendida with his wife and his plaster cast, another four people – one of them a 27-year-old woman – lie dead. We need to know that they have not died because of some cheap Chinese chemical his father has sold them.
I am tired of the way people are treated with such disdain in these matters, as though they are children who needn’t be told things.
There’s something else, too. That factory which blew up last night had fireworks brought in from all over Malta. Obviously, it did not transport them by special chartered flight from Gozo to Malta, but by sea. Did it use a private launch, or did it put them in a lorry and drive the lorry onto the passenger ferry along with many hundreds of unwitting people and their own vehicles?
The sort of explosion which killed four people last night and one man in Dwejra last month – apparently caused by unstable chemicals – could just as well have happened mid-channel and killed hundreds, sinking the ferry, if the ferry was used.
And here’s a hot tip for our reporters, who insist on claiming that this is the silly season when it is so patently not. Saviour Muscat Fireworks operates out of Lija, but the registered address for the business is 52a Triq San Pawl Milqi, Burmarrad. Does the address sound familiar? Indeed it does.
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Oh so it’ s Joey’s fault again!
I hope that the Gozo ferry issue will be followed up. I have a right to know if there’s something dangerous on the ferry!
Serrah rasek. Fuq lanca separata jtellawh.
David, fireworks to Gozo are not carried by the Gozo Channel ferries.
Good lord. Thank god for that.
Are the roads cleared by the police while the fireworks are in transit from the factory to the private boat utilised to ferry said fireworks to Gozo?
Is there a chance that a truck explodes in the middle of traffic?
Oh thank God for that! At least the chickens are not in danger on Gozo Channel ferries. Then it should be plain sailing from Gozo to the Burmarrad chicken factory, were it not for that tight bend on St. Paul’s bypass…
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100823/local/trailer-carrying-chickens-lopsides
TOPPLES
“Lopsides” is not a verb. FUCKING MORONS.
[Daphne – Language, language. I share your sentiments, of course.]
Right now I’ve a double dose of rage. My name is to appear on a report which is replete with Manglish syntax, written by assorted experts and consultants. I refuse to be associated with such blatant Maltese idiocy, but there’s nothing I can do about it, short of making enemies of all my colleagues.
Go ahead, Baxxter, make enemies–it’s fun. You can utilize your aptitude to ‘out fucking swear’ them.
That’s a tough call. I can’t bite the hand that I’ve desperately been trying to get to feed me, and this thing goes right up to the highest echelons.
I was of the opinion that if a person is enamoured of firework production, then when he was killed by the same fireworks, he died happily whilst doing what he enjoyed most. It’s a great pity though that the family is left utterly devastated by the event.
However, it’s quite another thing if faulty material is being used. The festa organisers could do their bit by refusing to manufacture/buy any fireworks unless they are sure of the safety of the material.
The police or the health and safety unit can investigate the importers of the material. Surely they must be held responsible for these terrible accidents if poor material is being sold.
Hey , you may be right about the chemicals – and it is unusual that accidents occurred just two days before the feast when the fireworks were made and not while they were being made.
[Daphne – It wasn’t me who queried the stability of the chemicals. It was something I picked up from an explosives expert quoted in a newspaper after the Dwejra disaster. No newspaper followed it up. But now, some newspaper really should. Yesterday’s explosion was like last month’s – as you say, while the fireworks were being moved around and not while they were being made.]
All over Europe the chemicals used in the manufacture of fireworks are of a certain mash or grade. In Malta we always get the cheapest quality and as you said it is all regarding profits.
So the legislation must start first from here: the importers of chemicals, more than education of people making them. We must be proud that when it comes to fireworks we can “teach the world” and we are winning competitions in Europe, The problem is always the limitations of funds. Yesterday night I saw a display at Zurrieq and it was world class.
All fireworks factories should be inspected properly as a big percentage of them are death-traps. Mepa must give the go ahead for alterations as an exception to the ODZ rules.
The transport of fireworks to Gozo does not take place on the ferry. It takes place from Marfa and it is transported on a another smaller boat used only for this purpose.
There’s no mistaking all those ‘ittri wara ismu’, is there?
http://www10.go.com.mt/edirnew_dev/modules/edir_checkquery.asp?g_category=&g_profes=&g_surname=Muscat&g_name=Joseph&g_house=&g_street=san+pawl+milqi&mode=&g_area=&g_locality=&g_telephone=&g_database=MAIN&g_perpage=100&g_business=Y&g_residential=Y
What happened to his ‘PhD’? Did he make that up also?
Whenever I think that you cannot go any lower, you surprise me by plumbing new depths.
Yeah, but in all honesty you are impressed that Maltastar actually beats Daphne’s Alexa ranking. I think we’d do well in not using your judgement as a measurement.
Purely for the record, Gozo Channel do not transport fireworks, which apparently are transported by barge through Hondoq ir-Rummien. There are very strict regulations regarding transport of hazardous goods and inspections are carried out.
A few questions to which many would like an answer…
In what way are fireworks and their raw material transported by road?
Is traffic cleared to allow trucks of hazardous material through?
Do they make use of isolated country roads or do they also drive through inhabited areas?
I dont care about those who die at firework factories.
I care about those who die because fireworks exploded outside the factory.
Let’s not forget the woman who died in Naxxar because somebody thought it was a brilliant idea to store fireworks in his garage.
I suppose the reason why ‘journalists’ do not follow up a story is because when they find out what is behind a story they do not wish to step on the toes of either politicians or businessmen. Veru ‘gurnalisti’ bla sinsla.
I should also add ‘the church’. By the way has the bishop of Gozo gone dumb. We have not heard from him and he is usually so very verbose on certain issues.
Sa fl-ahhar l-ewwel riflessjoni bis-sens. Tant qed nara kummenti ridikoli li jhalltu l-hass mal-bass tipo “ghax il-Maltin Talibani” jew “ghax dan fanatismu religjuz” ecc ecc. Mentri l-muftieh tad-dilemma qieghda taht imnehirna.
Daphne laqtet il-musmar fuq rasu. Il-kumpless tan-nar tal-Mosta fid-Dwejra limiti tar-Rabat kien wiehed mill-aktar safe ta’ Malta. Il-kmamar kellhom id-distanzi necessarji ecc. Ilha hemm mill-1984 u qatt ma wegga hadd. It-track record taghha kien impekkabli.
Il-vittma imma miet b’incident li halla lil kulhadd imbellah.
Kif jista jkun li meta murtal ikun maghluq dan jisplodi semplicement ghax caqlaqtu jew nizziltu tikka b’sahha? Kif qal ferm sew espert fil-kimika li hu is-Sur Delicata fil-Malta Independent kollox jindika li l-materjal fil-manifattura hu diffettuz. Hu semma specifikament materjal impurtat mic-Cina.
Dan jitfa dawl kompletament gdid.
Dan ifisser li anke kieku kellek kamra perfetta bin-nies kwalifikati XORTA WAHDA se jsehhu l-incidenti.
Hemm bzonn li l-importaturi tal-materjal jaghmlu ezami serju tal-kuxjenza ghax iridu jaghtu kont quddiem Alla tad-demm tal-vittmi. Dan il-biza dwar materjal difettuz ilu jahkem l-imhuh u l-qlub ta’ dawk li jahdmu n-nar.
Din messhom jaraw il-gurnalisti tal-habba gozz li ghandna. Jaghmlu paniku shih fuq incident zghir, u mbaghad storja tahraq bhal din ma jghidu xejn dwarha.
Is-soluzzjoni biex jonqsu drastikament dawn it-tragedji qeghda taht imnehirna. Investigaw lill-importaturi.
I’m glad that Gozo Channel has cleared the air with regards to not carrying explosives on their vessels. However, the other accusations are extremely serious, and more than worthy of further investigation.
Surely, the police have tested the chemicals being used. Surely, it’s up to them to debunk these allegations if they are unfounded or take all necessary steps if they are true.
And why is it that lately the police seem to be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons on a regular basis. Who’s pulling the strings there? Why is the force already dancing to a particular tune? Shouldn’t their allegiance lie with the people of these islands, with the interest of the country as a whole?
It would be just and fair to mention the other main importer if only your argument is the safety of the fireworks manufacturers.
Also fireworks and materials are never transported by Gozo Channel.
You only seem to have one intention, to smear the Labour Party.
[Daphne – I am not interested in the other importer. This is not about who the importers are per se, but about their connections which prejudice transparency in inquiries and in improved control of the situation. If one of the two main importers of these allegedly dubious fireworks chemicals is the father of the leader of the opposition, THAT is the news story, and not the possibility that the chemicals are dubious, which becomes secondary. “Fireworks….are never transported by Gozo Channel” – what you mean, actually, is that it is illegal to transport fireworks by Gozo Channel ferry. Similarly, it is illegal to store fireworks in inhabited areas, but that’s of no consolation to the people who died, the people they left behind, and those who lost their homes when fireworks stored in a Naxxar garage blew up. Equally, we know that fireworks, according to the regulations, can be moved around the islands only under police escort, with a special permit and at certain times of day. Yet the police have not released the number of requests for such permits and the number actually granted, and so we cannot assess whether the number of movements is realistic or not. Let’s put it this way: there are no random checks, either on the ferry or on the road during the peak firework season, so there is nothing to deter fireworks people from loading them onto a lorry and driving them around. My intention is not to smear the Labour Party. I have written consistently about this for years. After the worst such explosion, in which several men died and were given a heroes’ funeral with the president, the prime minister, the leader of the opposition and senior politicians among the mourners, I wrote a heavily critical article accusing all of those establishment figures of crass irresponsibility and immorality in giving their tacit approval to men such as those, who put their obsession before their families and who died leaving their widows and children to be cared for by the state or by others.]
@Anthony Caruana
WE are all to blame for the loss of these human lives and there is just one simple explanation dear Anthony…The Maltese virtually like to cut corners in everything they do.
Therefore, it is about bloody time that all concerned, pull up their ever expanding trousers and for love’s sake, and follow to the letter, their moral obligations towards the citizens who live on these rocks.
First of all my sincere condolences to the families of the victims. I hope that at least some solidarity will be shown by the Xaghra feast organisers. This did not happen when the Santa Maria explosion occurred because (as far as I know – correct me if I’m wrong) the other Santa Maria festas went on as planned, fireworks and all. Yesterday, while the rest of Malta was following the shocking news of the Gharb explosion, the San Girgor fireworks were blasting Sliema!
Gozo Channel have issued a statement denying carriage of fireworks on its vessels.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100906/local/no-fireworks-carried-on-gozo-ferries
Many comments I have seen urge the authorities to take action, usually without making any suggestions. Here are mine:
1. The time has come for a 3-5 year moratorium on fireworks production in the Maltese Islands:
2. During this period it is to be ensured that the safety standards of all fireworks factories are upgraded and brought to a state-of-the-art level.
3. Serious training programmes for workers in these factories are organised.
4. Only personnel who have achieved the necessary qualifications through these training programmes will be allowed to work in the factories when production is resumed.
5. Each factory will have to employ a scientist with a degree in chemistry.
6. MSA to set strict standards for raw materials used in fireworks production, and only materials reaching these standards to be imported/used.
7. Transportation of fireworks and explosive material to be properly regulated.
8. Factories to be subjected to frequent inspections (including surprise visits) by competent persons.
9. No new licences/permits for fireworks factories to be issued.
“one of them a 21-year-old woman”
“20 persuna mietu , fosthom 2 nisa”
So what if there were women killed?
Il-mara kienet tqila.
so?!
What was the pregnant woman doing there anyway?
[Daphne – Probably just passing the time of day on a Sunday evening. Her father-in-law, now dead, owned the place and her husband, now dead, would have been there helping out.]
Because it’s generally assumed that, anytime anything exciting happens, the protagonists are men.
This is serious – very serious indeed! Accidental death is one thing but death caused through faulty material, in my opinion, is manslaughter.
This is outrageous. Fireworks on a Gozo ferry? You have got to be kidding me. How unbelievably irresponsible.
I am not surprised, however, to hear that it might be the type of powder they are using that is causing all this. The fact that this keeps on happening shows that there must be some sort of common factor causing all this, and the powder may well be it.
This is what you get when you buy things that are cheap. This is the price we pay. Yet more lives lost all in the name of profit, reputation and a village festa.
Eight factories blown up in 12 months. This is no coincidence. Using the same ratio, per capita, some 16,000 factories should have exploded in China. We only heard of one.
Illni nissuspetta li din hi xi tahwida ghax li jisplodu daqshekk kmamar xi haga hazina hemm u hi kommuni.
L-esperti tal-piroteknika dawn irridu jinvestigaw mhux jigu fuq it t.v u jibdew jghidu il-hmerijiet u jwahhlu fuq il-hwejjeg tan-nylon jew ir-rih isfel.
Wiehed ikkumenta fuq timesofmalta.com fejn qal lil Gonzi biex iqum mir-raqda, ghax bhall dak li qallu Gonzi qed igib il-materjal minn barra hu stess.
Issa x`ser nghamlu? Mhux ahjar jaqbdu u jmorru jikonfiskaw il-materjal kollu li gabu minn Cina inkluz ta’ Saviour Muscat?
U jekk dan il-materjal hu hazin x`ser jghamlu? Ifittxuhom ghad-danni tat-telfiet ta’ nies li intilfu?
JEW ghax hemm il-politikanti imdahhlin ma jsirx xejn?
L-aqwa li qieghdin fuq kruzzzz u ma nistawx nattendu u nidru fil-funeral tal-vittmi.
Dan irrid jara Gonzi u nispera li ma ndumux ma nisemaw xi ruzultat pozitiv qabel ma jmut xi vittma ohra.
All pyrotechnic/explosive material is strictly legislated for in Europe with respect to handling, transportation and storage etc. However the problem in Malta seems to be tackling the mentality and powerful network of enthusiasts and also the typical laissez faire attitude of the authorities.
“It is INSANE that the transport of fireworks is permitted on passenger ferries. But now, at least, we know why the Labour leader has not joined the clamour for reform”
Worse than that. CRIMINALLY INSANE.
The ToM has run a categorical denial on the part of Gozo Ferry. My thoughts when reading it were amply echoed in the comments that quickly followed:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100906/local/no-fireworks-carried-on-gozo-ferries
And now we have the following issued by the government:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100906/local/government-to-appoint-board-of-inquiry-on-materials-used-in-fireworks
Is that the aroma of (wake up and smell the) coffee wafting through the corridors of Castille?
What is the church doing about all this?
I know that ultimately the government is responsible for regulating the sector but we must not ignore the fact that the whole fireworks industry is linked to “religious” celebrations.
Surely the Church should get involved and not just act like an innocent bystander in all this.
I’m amazed that this aspect continues to be ignored.
When Adidas sweatshops made the news we didn’t persecute hip teenagers across the world for buying them. Suppliers and manufacturers are to take the blame for this one, not the clients – unless you have reason to think there was specific client requests made to create the situation (and no, client wanting it cheap doesn’t count).
as far as i know it is only the army who can sell explosive material and licenced facroties ( farrugia fireworks factory is licenced ) can obtain it within an established quota and not anybody can import it and sell it.
gozo channel does not transport fireworks between the islands it is done by barges from/ to hondoq under police survialance
Yes, Daphne, you are quite right in this and it is a pity that most of our so-called journalists do not delve deep in any story.
Where are the investigative journalists or are they only interested in being members of the “famous” Institute of Maltese Journalists?
Our so-called ‘journalists’ are nothing more than cut-and-paste journalists.
Fireworks are always transported from Malta to Gozo on a barge and with permission like yesterday morning at 4.30am.
Don t rush to conclusions on what happened yesterday as from my reliable sources it was a mistake while doing immursjar that caused the explosion and nothing to do with materials.
That’s another news story that got away. The survivors of the explosion that killed four, injured two, and razed everything to the ground but lived to tell the tale of what went wrong.
In China melamine is added to baby food to deceive the consumers (or rather their parents). Melamine can cause irreparable renal damage especially in infants. This can be fatal.
I do not know what they add to explosives but I am looking forward to finding out.
With a population hovering around the 1.5 billion mark China can afford to have a few babies die here and there and also several explosives blowing up here, there and everywhere.
When Berlusconi said that they boiled babies to produce fertilizer he was universally poo-pooed.
I hope he was not right after all.
That’s the sort of fuzzy thinking that had people believe corned beef was really made out of Argentinians who disappeared.
What makes you think Chinese parents are happy that their babies died of poisoning?
18th August – prelude to yet another tragedy
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100818/opinion/avoiding-pyrotechnics-tragedies
Reno Bugeja asked some tough questions on TVM while interviewing the treasurer. One of a rare breed, a fearless journalist worth his salt.
Will everything die out in a week’s time? Was a time limit imposed on the board of inquiry? Or will the thing linger on and on and on… like the multitude of magisterial inquiries?
Ah… but The Times still found space to report that one of Ryanair’s flights was late in taking off this morning!
There’s journalism for you.