Sliema is known as one of the most affluent areas in Malta with an idyllic seafront that sees many flock to the area for a cheeky swim or a delightful walk along the promenade, yet these scenes were replaced with a tragic disaster site on one fateful day in the late '70s.

A Sliema route bus fell off the promenade and unto the rocks below on 26th October 1978, killing one British tourist. The accident shocked many, as it was later revealed that the bus driver had violently steered away from the road to avoid a collision with an oncoming Volkswagen. 

As a consequence, the steering wheel column broke and the driver lost control of the bus, which drove through the promenade barriers and fell head first a height of more than one storey. The steering wheel's ball bearings were later found in the steering wheel's lower compartment.

A newspaper cutting dating back to Friday 27th October 1978 reveals an indepth report of the tragic event which had occurred on the previous day.