A number of people were slightly injured when a pontoon at the Blue Lagoon in Comino gave way on Saturday afternoon.

In a press release issued on Sunday, the Malta Maritime Authority (MMA) said that the incident was caused by the fact that the pontoon was overloaded by passengers departing from Comino to Malta and Gozo.

The pontoon was installed earlier this summer as part of the MMA’s campaign to ensure the safety of swimmers at sea and was designed as a transfer platform so that passengers can embark and disembark from the ferry boats to the shore without the boats getting too close to the bathing area.

Investigations into the incident indicate that passengers overcrowded the pontoon making it unstable and causing it to capsize. Two persons were admitted to hospital after sustaining minor injuries and were discharged shortly after receiving treatment.

Whilst apologising for the inconvenience caused and regretting the distress suffered by the people involved in this incident, the MMA will be re-assessing the arrangements for the embarkation/disembarkation of passengers at Blue Lagoon.

The MMA also renews its continued appeals to boat owners to respect the demarcation lines of the swimmer zones, to proceed towards bathing areas with extreme caution and to refrain from using swimmer zone lines as a means of anchorage.