More than 100 properties at Edgeworth were still in the dark on Thursday night after a blackout near the suburb's mall on Main Road plunged thousands into darkness.
Ausgrid electrical workers were trying to restore power to 152 properties around Main Road about 9.30pm after a massive outage cut power to as many as 8400 properties just before 3pm.
Crews initially estimated that the power would be restored as early as 5pm, but an Ausgrid source said the power provider was working to get the lights back on progressively into the evening.
Residents told Ausgrid that they heard sounds of explosions, and crews have been warned of downed wires near the apparent scene of the blackout in the mall, but the cause was unclear, the source said.
The mall was sent into darkness with shops forced to close early.
Peak-hour traffic was thrown into a stalled chaos as Police were called in to direct the flow through the busy intersection of Minmi and Main roads.
Electrical workers had restored power to the majority of customers affected, after the outage hit properties stretching from the intersection at Neilson Street and Transfield Avenue to Laurel Avenue on Brush Creek, including Main Road businesses BWS, Henny Penny, Coles, and Aldi.
