The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has confirmed that residents affected by the collapse of the Tania Flats apartment block in St Julian’s have been offered alternative accommodation.

In an official statement, the authority said residents had been “provided with all necessary assistance to mitigate the consequences of this incident,” including technical and legal support through architects and lawyers, as well as professional emotional support to help them cope with the experience.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday evening, could have led to serious tragedy. The majority of the apartment block collapsed just hours after the BCA had ordered its evacuation due to safety concerns. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Two nearby restaurants were also ordered to close on Wednesday as a precaution, following further safety assessments.

“The Authority will continue to closely monitor the situation of all those who have been evacuated and will remain committed to supporting them throughout this difficult period,” the BCA statement read, adding that it is maintaining regular contact with the local council to coordinate assistance efforts.

The collapsed building, known as Tania Flats, is located in Paceville Road, adjacent to an active construction site led by Excel Developments, a company owned by Gozitan developer Joseph Portelli, along with Executive Directors Mark Agius and Daniel Refalo.

However, in a public statement, Excel Developments categorically denied that the incident was caused by works carried out by the company.

“As a matter of fact, the architect appointed by Excel Property Trading noticed visual defects on Tania Flats and immediately engaged with the owners (of Tania Flats) and the architects responsible for previous structural works on Tania Flats,” the company said.

According to Excel, Tania Flats “had long-standing structural issues, and the owners had committed to initiating urgent remediation works" to address serious defects previously identified in the structure.

As a precaution, Excel issued a stop notice on its adjacent construction site.

The company stated that on Wednesday morning, Excel’s architect and the architects representing Tania Flats jointly agreed that the building had deteriorated further. “The decision to evacuate 32 residents proved to be lifesaving,” the statement added.

Excel Developments reiterated that it has cooperated fully with the authorities and will “continue to follow all directions,” while supporting ongoing investigations.