Malta Kissing Elephants Arch Collapse: Malta’s ‘Kissing Elephants’ Arch Collapses, Killing One Tourist and Injuring Another
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A beloved rock formation on the Maltese island of Comino has collapsed, killing a 26-year-old Chinese man and seriously injuring a woman after an American tourist jumped from the top of the arch moments before it gave way.
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The incident happened at around 7pm on Saturday evening at the iconic “Kissing Elephants” archway, a natural limestone formation that had long been a draw for visitors to the Mediterranean island. The arch tumbled into the sea just as two tourists were riding beneath it on a jet ski.
What happened in the water
The 26-year-old Chinese man, who has not yet been publicly named, was found pinned to the seabed after large sections of rock crashed down directly onto the jet ski. Divers from the Armed Forces of Malta located his body during search and rescue operations that extended into Sunday.
A 27-year-old Chinese woman who was also on the jet ski was pulled from the water with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. She was transported by road to Gozo General Hospital, where doctors confirmed she was expected to survive.
The American tourist, aged 32, had jumped from the top of the arch into the sea shortly before the structure gave way. A passing boat rescued him from the water, and he received medical treatment at Mgarr Harbour without requiring a hospital admission.
A formation already under pressure
The Kissing Elephants arch, named for the way its twin rock pillars were said to resemble two elephants touching trunks, had been a popular spot for cliff jumping and photography. Limestone formations of this kind are inherently vulnerable to erosion from wave action, salt exposure, and the physical stress of people climbing on them.
Malta has seen similar collapses before. The Azure Window, the country’s most famous natural arch on the island of Gozo, fell into the sea in 2017 after years of weathering and repeated warnings from geologists. The loss prompted calls for stricter access controls around the remaining natural rock structures, though enforcement has remained a persistent challenge given the volume of tourists visiting these remote coastal spots.
Recovery efforts continue
On Sunday evening, the Civil Protection Department deployed heavy equipment to assist with operations at the site. Maltese police confirmed they were called to the scene at around 7.15pm following reports of a large rock fall near Comino.
Authorities have not yet announced whether any formal investigation into the circumstances of the collapse will be opened, or whether access restrictions will be placed on other similar formations in the area.
The tragedy is likely to renew debate about the balance between preserving Malta’s natural coastal heritage and the safety risks posed by tourists accessing fragile geological structures with little or no restriction.
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