Emergency services were dispatched to an area close to Kirkop and Safi on Saturday morning following reports of an explosion. Police, medics and Civil Protection Department firefighters were all called to the area to respond to the incident. The explosion is believed to have occurred at a fireworks factory in the area, although a police spokesperson said at 7.10 am that it was too early to know for sure. Video of the smoke cloud. People reported hearing two separate blasts - a small one followed by a much larger one that left windows shaking. Video footage shot from near Malta International Airport and provided to Times of Malta showed a large plume of grey smoke rising into the air. A Kirkop resident reported "a vaguely sulphury smell" in the air. A passenger at the airport said the explosion "shook the whole terminal building." The blast was heard across significant swathes of the country, stretching from Marsaxlokk to Naxxar and even Sliema. More to follow
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