A Launceston grandfather has broken his leg after tripping in the dark due to a widespread power outage that has left countless homes and businesses without electricity.
Jakob Vebb visited his grandfather on Friday morning to find him lying on the floor and unable to call for help.
“He’s got no phones at the moment because there’s no power … it’s bloody ridiculous,” Vebb told 7.
“Thank God I called round or otherwise he’d be laying there for a couple of days.”
The extended delay in resolving the outages has been caused by union-led industrial action, after TasNetworks staff walked off the job earlier this week.
They claim to be paid 35% less than their mainland counterparts, a figure the company disputes.
TasNetworks’ current offer is a 7% increase, which would increase the base line-worker salary to nearly $100,000.
While all properties in Launceston have now been re-connected to power, approximately 200 properties in other parts of the state remain in the dark.
Some residents in Kettering, Margate and Stanley were told on Friday that power may not be restored until Monday afternoon.
