Bomb likely placed underneath chassis - forensic expert

Retired forensic expert Dr Anthony Abela Medici told The Malta Independent that from what he had observed, the bomb in yesterday’s incident was likely attached to the bottom of the car. He said that the car chassis probably served to shield the body from the rattling blast of the bomb.

“If the bomb was placed inside the car, not underneath, the damage on the car would have been much greater and the injuries far worse. Take the car bomb in Saint Paul’s Bay, for instance. It was evident that the bomb was literally inside the car, not underneath it,” he explains.

Dr Abela Medici said that the bomb had probably been detonated through a mobile or radio device. Similarly, this had happened in the car bomb detonated in Marsa in September 2016. Even in that case, the bomb was believed to have been attached to the bottom part of the car, explaining why in both cases, the drivers lost their legs.

In his years of experience at the forensic unit, Dr Abela Medici has seen a lot. Still, he expressed his shock at how frequent these car bombs are occurring. “I am particularly shocked at how the bomb was detonated in the middle of Msida, one of the most notorious traffic hotspots in Malta.”