Panicked staff climbed out of an office window after being trapped in their building when the security system failed due to a power outage caused by an accident at a construction site next door.

Architectural technologist Harrison Isaac, who works at HEGNI Architectural Design the building adjacent to a Par-La-Ville construction site, said he heard a bang just after 4 p.m. yesterday, after which the electricity went out.

"It was nothing new because we're always hearing bangs from that site. But this time the power went off," he said.

"When we tried to get out, the security swipes on the doors would not work. So we tried the windows but they were jammed too. Luckily one of the construction crew was next door and helped us open one of the windows so we could climb out."

Bermuda Electric Light Company (Belco) spokesperson Linda Smith said the outage occurred at 4.23 p.m. when a construction crew at the site of the old New Queen Restaurant, which is in the process of being demolished to make way for a new office block, cut through an underground power cable by accident.

Construction worker Michael Moulder said he had been digging with the excavator when "all of a sudden I saw smoke coming out of the manhole in front of me. I knew that I would be okay because the machine I work in is grounded."

The accident left Esso Automart across the road and Century House next door to that, without power for a little less than 90 minutes.

Deborah Grant, who works at the Esso Automart, said: "There was a snap. It wasn't really loud but you could hear it."