During the massive power cut on January 9 I was at Fort Cambridge apartments in Sliema. I entered the building from level zero and suddenly all the lights went off and the lifts stopped working. In such a scenario one either uses the stairs or walks out of the building.

In my case I couldn’t do so as the new modern buildings are equipped with access control systems to increase security. In most cases, however, the security designs do not take power cuts into consideration.

I was terrified as I was trapped inside. What if there was a fire in the building? Would I have been able to get out?

I tried to use my phone to call for assistance, but I had no reception. I panicked as I was trapped inside, without emergency lights. After several minutes, the maintenance people managed to get the electricity back on and only then I was able to exit the building.

It is very evident that there isn’t a competent entity scrutinising high-rise buildings to ensure that they are safe for people. When it comes to safety, we lag behind other European countries.