Valletta: A rock structure in the form of an arch which had featured in countless Malta tourism brochures and The Game of Thrones has collapsed into the sea in what Prime Minister Joseph Muscat described as a "heartbreaking event".
Geologists had long warned that the structure, on the north-western coast of the small island of Gozo, was eroding fast and the authorities had banned visitors from walking on top of it.
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Malta's Azure Window collapses
It was the site of the Dothraki wedding in Game of Thrones and featured in Clash of the Titans, but Malta's famous travel destination has disappeared.
The structure, known as the Azure Window because it arched over blue seas popular with divers, collapsed on Wednesday as Malta was hit by rough seas and stormy weather.
Prime Minister Muscat said in a tweet that the famous Mediterranean landmark had always faced destruction because of natural corrosion. "That sad day has arrived," he wrote.
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The site from where one could admire it-Tieqa tad-Dwejra. Heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/S4XV6MyKRu
— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) March 8, 2017
It is a very sad day for Malta. The iconic Azure Window collapsed this morning, succumbing to the forces of nature and the passage of time. pic.twitter.com/ovc8Yj9gWH
— VisitMalta (@VisitMalta) March 8, 2017
Gozo resident Roger Chessell went to the coastline in the morning to take pictures.
"There was a big raging sea beneath the Azure Window," he told the Times of Malta newspaper. "Suddenly, the arch collapsed into the sea with a loud whoomph, throwing up a huge spray."
Reuters