WARSAW, IND. (WOWO) Some NIPSCO customers in Warsaw experienced extended power outages following an incident that left homes without electricity for nearly 18 hours during an ongoing labor lockout involving utility workers.

Residents reported hearing a loud boom before noticing downed equipment and loss of service in parts of the city. Power remained out for many customers into the next day before being restored in the early morning hours, according to WNDU.

The outage comes during a continuing labor dispute involving unionized employees and the utility company, which has affected staffing for field operations and outage response.

Some residents said crews were delayed in arriving to the scene, leading to extended restoration times.

Among those impacted were customers who rely on medical equipment requiring continuous electricity. One resident said the outage raised concerns about what could happen during longer disruptions.

Union representatives say discussions with the utility remain ongoing, with no timeline announced for a resolution.

Officials have not released additional details about the cause of the equipment failure that triggered the outage.