More than 2,700 homes and businesses in and around Mildura could remain without electricity for days after a ute crashed into a power pole at Birdwoodton and caused a high-voltage fault in one of the major lines supplying the district.

The crash happened on McEdward Street shortly after 6.30am on Monday, September 21. Paramedics attended and took a woman in her 20s to Mildura Hospital, where she was reported to be in a stable condition.

The collision damaged electricity infrastructure and triggered a widespread outage. Powercor initially said more than 5,000 customers lost supply before crews were able to reroute power and reduce the number still affected to about 2,700.

Early advice suggested electricity could be restored later on Monday, but the distributor revised that estimate as crews assessed the nature of the fault. By the afternoon, Powercor said some customers could be without power for “a number of days”.

The extended delay is not simply about replacing a broken pole. Powercor says the collision caused what is known as a high-voltage injection, creating a safety problem that requires detailed checks before parts of the network can be energised again.

Why restoration could take days

Electricity distribution networks use different voltage levels for different stages of supply. High-voltage lines carry electricity through the broader network before it is stepped down to the lower voltage used by homes and most businesses.

Powercor spokesperson Jordan Oliver said the damaged line was effectively one of the major backbone feeders bringing electricity from Merbein into parts of Mildura.

When the vehicle hit the pole, the fault created a risk that electricity at a much higher voltage than normal may have entered sections of the low-voltage network.

That matters because household switchboards, appliances and wiring are designed for normal supply conditions. If excessive voltage reaches that equipment, it can cause damage and create a potential electrical or fire hazard.

Powercor therefore cannot simply reconnect the feeder once the visible roadside damage is repaired. Crews need to inspect the network and, in affected areas, gain access to electricity meters and other equipment to make sure it is safe to restore supply.

The company said inspectors are moving through impacted properties as quickly as possible, but the process is labour-intensive. Access to individual premises can also affect the speed of the work if customers are not home or meters cannot be reached safely.

The fault triggered a number of automatic fire alarms around Mildura and surrounding areas during the morning. Those alarms were linked to the loss of mains power and the electrical disturbance, adding to the workload for emergency services.

The outage demonstrates why a single roadside crash can create effects far beyond the immediate collision site. A local pole supplying only a handful of properties can sometimes be replaced relatively quickly. A fault involving a major feeder can interrupt supply across multiple suburbs or towns and require wider network testing.

In this case, customers in Mildura and surrounding areas including Birdwoodton and nearby communities were affected as crews isolated damaged sections and rerouted power where possible.

The initial reduction from more than 5,000 customers to about 2,700 shows that network operators can sometimes restore part of the load through alternative lines. The customers who remain without supply are those connected to sections that cannot yet be safely returned to service.

What residents and businesses should do

Powercor has asked customers in the affected area to check their switchboards and electrical equipment for signs of damage. The company specifically advised people to report damaged switchboards, unusual smells or other indications that electrical equipment may have been affected.

Customers should not attempt electrical repairs themselves. If there are signs of serious damage, smoke, fire or an immediate safety risk, they should stay clear of the equipment and contact emergency services or a licensed electrician as appropriate.

Powercor has also asked for access to electricity meters because inspectors need to complete safety tests before some properties can be reconnected.

Mildura Rural City Council said a relief station would open from 8am on Tuesday to give affected residents access to device charging and internet services while the outage continues.

That support can become important during a multi-day outage because mobile phones, medical devices, payment terminals and internet connections all depend on reliable power or battery charging.

Businesses face their own difficulties. Refrigeration, point-of-sale systems, security systems and industrial equipment can all be affected by a prolonged loss of supply. Food businesses in particular need to monitor temperature-sensitive stock and follow food-safety rules if refrigeration has been interrupted.

People who rely on powered medical equipment should follow their emergency plans and contact their healthcare provider or electricity distributor if they need assistance. Anyone facing an immediate medical emergency should call Triple Zero.

Customers should also be cautious when power eventually returns. If appliances, lights or switchboards appear damaged or behave unusually, the safest course is to switch off affected equipment and seek professional advice rather than repeatedly trying to restart it.

A prolonged outage can create secondary problems even where there is no electrical damage. Refrigerated and frozen food can become unsafe if temperatures rise for too long, battery-powered communications can fail and businesses may need to close until lighting, payment systems and safety equipment are operating normally.

Residents should follow current food-safety and emergency guidance rather than relying on how food looks or smells, and they should avoid using generators or improvised power sources in enclosed spaces because of carbon-monoxide and fire risks.

These practical effects are one reason councils and distributors establish relief arrangements during long outages. Restoring electricity is the central task, but access to information, charging and essential services becomes increasingly important as the hours without supply accumulate.

The woman injured in the crash remained in a stable condition in the latest public update. Authorities have not publicly released further details about the circumstances that led to the collision.

For motorists, the damaged infrastructure and repair work can also create traffic disruption around the scene. Fallen poles and live or potentially live electrical equipment require exclusion zones until crews make the area safe.

The outage is likely to be restored in stages rather than all at once. Some customers may regain power earlier if their section of the network passes inspection, while others may remain disconnected until additional repairs or property checks are completed.

Powercor’s live outage information and direct customer messages will therefore be more useful than a single district-wide restoration time.

The key reason for the delay is safety. The company says the unusual electrical fault means it must be confident that high voltage has not damaged customer equipment before switching the network back on.

That makes the Mildura outage more complex than a routine pole replacement. Even after the roadside infrastructure is repaired, inspectors may still need to work property by property to eliminate the risk of further damage when supply is restored.

For the roughly 2,700 customers still affected, the practical message is to prepare for a potentially extended outage, report any signs of electrical damage, make arrangements for essential power needs and follow Powercor and council updates as the inspection program progresses.