The Azure Window that projects in Malta's Gozo Island has collapsed into the sea during a powerful storm. The iconic Maltese natural rock formation has been featured in travel brochures, movies, and television shows including HBO's popular series "Game of Thrones" among others.
A Strong gush of wind hit Malta on Wednesday, and this also led some TV networks to suspend their services. As soon as news of the unprecedented collapse of the Azure Formation went viral online, people started heading towards the area to see what happened to Malta's iconic rock formation. Many were on site by mid-morning and could not believe that the Azure Window is gone.
Local resident Roger Chessell was at Dwejra taking pictures of the storm when he witnessed the Azure Window collapse into the sea. "There was a big raging sea beneath the window," he told the Times of Malta. "Suddenly, the arch collapsed into the sea with a loud whoomph, throwing up a huge spray. By the time the spray had faded, the stack had gone too."
Research had shown that the Azure Window would be hit hard by an unavoidable natural corrosion. Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted "that sad day has arrived" referring to the natural destruction of the rock formation.
A 2013 study had concluded that Malta's Azure Window collapse is inevitable, but it would likely survive for decades to come. Concerns about the long-term future of the rock formation grew for many years with a committee overseeing the site's management. In recent years, tourists have allegedly done some damage to the Azure Window.
People visiting the site had jumped off the arch into the sea, dislodging clumps of rock in the process. Authorities enforced fines for walking over the Azure Window, but it was rarely enforced.
Gozo Minister Anton Refalo likened the destruction of the rock formation to "losing a part of yourself" but stressed that Gozo had a lot of tourist attractions to offer apart from Azure Window. Malta's iconic rock formation is now gone forever, but the incident served as an eye-opener to everyone, most especially the government, to look after and protect tourist sites.