Residents of one of Manchester city centre's most prestigious skyscrapers are fleeing their homes after a massive power outage that bosses say cannot be resolved over the weekend. Electricity has gone down at the West Tower on Deansgate, which soars 44 storeys and houses hundreds of residents in upmarket apartments and penthouses.
The power first failed on Wednesday night at approximately 9pm, according to residents. Despite initial assurances from the building's management team that work was underway, electricity and hot water remained off throughout Thursday. Emails were dispatched to all residents on Thursday evening, informing them the problem cannot be rectified until Monday 13th April 2026.
Residents are being given the option of remaining in their homes without electricity, or sourcing alternative accommodation, which they have been told will be reimbursed at a later date. One resident described the situation as 'chaos' and said he was booking a hotel, adding: 'I can do without hot water because I can shower at the gym, but having no wifi or TV? No, I had to leave, I need my TV.'
Another resident said: 'Power went off last night, the whole building just went off. It was all blacked out, we thought it would be back on this morning, but we've waited all day while they said a generator is coming. They've now said they can't do anything until Monday, and the reception is so busy with angry people.'
One woman revealed she was so distressed that she is now considering leaving the apartments for good. She said: 'I pay over £1,600 per month in rent and expect the management to have been better equipped and have higher quality energy infrastructure. All we have been provided with is bottled water. Management are refusing to compensate for all the spoiled food from fridges and freezers.'
An email from The Residences Management stated that the cause of the outage has been identified as a fault with the busbar within the Deansgate Square site, which is managed by a third party. The replacement component is bespoke and is currently being manufactured, with delivery expected onsite next week. In the meantime, emergency supply to lifts and life safety systems remains fully operational.
