A Chinese tourist was killed and another seriously injured after a natural rock arch collapsed at a popular tourist attraction in Malta, striking the pair while they were riding a jet ski beneath the formation.
According to Times of Malta, the incident occurred at about 7pm local time on June 27 near the famous “Kissing Elephant” rock arch off Comino Island.
The victims, a 26-year-old Chinese man and a 27-year-old Chinese woman, were riding a jet ski underneath the natural rock formation when it suddenly gave way.
Both tourists were hit by falling rocks. The man became trapped beneath the debris underwater, while the woman sustained serious injuries but was rescued by emergency responders.
A spokesperson for Malta’s Civil Protection Department said rescue teams first used a crane mounted on a barge to remove large sections of the collapsed rock before divers entered the water.
The divers later recovered the man’s body from beneath the submerged debris and handed it over to police for further investigation.
Authorities have not yet announced the cause of the collapse, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.
