A heavy storm causes the world-famous Azure Window of Malta to collapse. Images have been captured and went viral.
The Azure Window that is called Tieqa tad-Dwejra in Malta was lost to the sea. Joseph Muscat, who is the Maltese prime minister tweeted that the unfortunate event is "Heartbreaking,"
The site from where one could admire it-Tieqa tad-Dwejra. Heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/S4XV6MyKRu
— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) March 8, 2017
The Azure Window is a limestone arch located near Dwerja Bay on Gozo that is an island in the Maltese archipelago. It is one of the most famous locations in Europe. Also, it has been featured in the HBO famous series Game of Thrones and known to be a location for cliff-jumping.
Report uploaded images of the sad event and it shows that not only that the arch has been destroyed, but also the stacks of the both sides. Prime minister Muscat said that "Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion. That sad day arrived."
In line, a resident of Xaghra on Gozo, Roger Chessel told the Times of Malta that he was the Azure Window when the collapsing happened around 9:40 am. He added that "There was a big raging sea beneath the window. Suddenly, the arch collapsed into the sea with a loud whoomph, throwing up huge spray. By the time the spray had faded, the stack had gone too."
Meanwhile, the opposition leader of the country, Simon Busuttil posted a tweet about what happened. He tweeted that "This is a sad day for Malta. We have just lost an icon of our country's natural beauty," according to Telegraph.
The news of the Azure Window that collapsed has reached to the residents to the coast and they paid their respects. People has also posted on social media to share their memories of the lost arch.
The now destroyed Azure Windows has long been known as a popular sight for tourists. The people could take a boat tour that followed the cliffs before looking at the beautiful arch.
However, back in 2013, a geological study has found that while the erosion is inescapable, there were no signs of the structure collapsing. The government even made a law last year that walking across the bridge is an offense that is punishable by a fine of €1,500 (£1,233).
