Thousands of Victorians remain without electricity as inquiry launched into mass power outages

Independent experts to review energy firms' response to storms that left more than half a million customers without power

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An independent panel of experts is set to review the response by energy companies to the destructive storms that left more than half a million homes without power in Victoria, as thousands continue to wait for their electricity to be restored a week on.

The state's energy minister, Lily D'Ambrosio, on Tuesday said the panel would review the preparedness of energy distribution businesses to respond to last week's catastrophic storm event.

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