Vic: Blackouts hit Melbourne's outer-eastern suburbs

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2001
Vic: Blackouts hit Melbourne's outer-eastern suburbs

MELBOURNE, Aug 19 AAP - More than 1,600 households in Melbourne's outer-eastern suburbs
remain in the dark after storms cut off electricity supplies 24 hours ago.

Power company TXU spokesman Alain Grossbard said pockets of Cockatoo, Olinda, Warburton,
Belgrave, Bunyip, Warrandyte and Poowong were still experiencing blackouts.

"We've had very large trees fall on wires and pull the poles down to the ground so
we've had to get replacement poles as well as wires," Mr Grossbard said.

He said TXU's resources were stretched after 100,000 customers in South Gippsland and
the outer-eastern suburbs lost power from 1am (AEST) yesterday.

"All crews have been working through the day and night," he said.

He said the remaining 1,600 households should have their power supply restored by lunchtime.

AAP jt/cdh

KEYWORD: STORMS LEAD

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