A truck, with its lifting hiab extended, ripped down power lines on the Woodstock-Rimu Road last night, leaving 96 households without electricity.
Hokitika fire chief Harry Collett said the truck, apparently a logging vehicle with lifting equipment on the back, "wiped out" five power lines in different places between Rimu township and the Kaniere Bridge, about 5pm.
"He's left his boom too high and hooked the wires," Mr Collett said. "He was taking them all down as he was going along."
Wires were down across the road in more than one place when the brigade arrived to keep traffic at bay.
Electronet workers arrived to fix the damage and reconnected the majority of households a few hours later, but the work went on into the night, Mr Collett said.
Electronet said most had their supply restored by 9pm.
However, a dozen households in the area were left without power overnight, chief executive Rob Caldwell said.
