Malta's Azure Window collapses into sea

Malta's famed Azure window collapsed into the sea on Wednesday after the Maltese islands were hit by rough seas and stormy weather. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Waves break against the cliffs where the Azure Window once stood. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

People take pictures of the site where the Azure Window collapsed on the island of Gozo. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

The structure is believed to have been formed millions of years ago. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

The 50 metre high arch has been featured in the HBO series Game of Thrones and is considered one of Europe's most recognizable natural landmarks. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Geologists had long warned that the structure was eroding fast and the authorities had banned visitors from walking on top of it. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Prime Minister Joseph 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. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

The limestone arch, known as the Azure Window because it arched over blue seas popular with divers, was featured in countless tourist brochures. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

The Azure Window in September 2016. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

In 2009. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Tourists walk away after viewing the site where the Azure Window collapsed. 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...more