A fuse box at the law courts suddenly burst into flames yesterday, plunging the building into darkness for around half an hour and leaving a woman stuck in a lift.

The box is affixed to a wall on the ground floor near the lifts and sits above a bench that is usually used by people waiting for their cases to be heard.

The installation exploded into a blaze just after 11 a.m. The electricity of the court house immediately went out and police officers, who happened to be just metres away, immediately evacuated the people present.

Since many members of the judiciary are out on summer recess, the building was practically empty except for Senior Magistrate Silvio Meli, who was the duty magistrate, as well as some court staff and a few other members of the judiciary in their chambers.

The flames ripped through some plastic covering and melted it, spreading up the wall to the ceiling until it was put out with an extinguisher.

Within minutes, Civil Protection Department personnel arrived to rescue the woman stuck in the lift.

Senior Magistrate Meli resumed his court sittings in another courtroom on the second floor as electricians worked to restore power, which they did in a short time. Damage was limited to the fuse box, the bench and the wall.