SIXTEEN people were evacuated from a parent and baby centre after an outside electrical box started melting.

A 17-year-old girl was treated by paramedics after breathing in smoke at the Parent and Child Project, in Heygate Avenue, Southend.

Fire crews from Southend were called to the scene just before 9pm on Thursday.

Station officer John Tidbury said there were about five occupants with four babies, two staff and five guests at the unit, who had to be evacuated.

He said: “The box was melting, so we pulled the main fuses out and cut off the electricity supply.

“One of the inhabitants, a 17-year-old girl, suffered smoke inhalation. We gave her oxygen until paramedics arrived and they took over.”

The project provides accommodation and support to parents aged from 16 to 25, and to pregnant mothers.

Engineers from EDF Energy were called to check the electrical supply.

Tracey Sparling, a spokeswoman for EDF, said: “Power was interrupted to one customer in Heygate Avenue when a fault developed on the low-voltage electricity distribution network.

“EDF was called by the fire service and our engineers carried out initial investigations.

“Our engineers were on site from 8am until 2pm, on Friday, carrying out repair work.

“We understand no damage was caused to the customer’s property.”