Dozens of tower block residents were evacuated after a power outage over the weekend – and some might not be able to go back home until Friday.

One resident had to sleep on a leisure centre floor on Saturday night after those living in the 102 flats in social housing block in Circle Court, Stretford, were suddenly told to leave their homes.

It is understood the power outage occured on Saturday January 11 at 5am after water made its way into the electrical system  when one of the building’s upper floors was flooded, with the water then travelling via the stairwell to floors below.

Trafford Housing Trust said they responded to the emergency situation immediately.

The residents of 44 flats are still affected and 26 have been found alternative accommodation by the trust, including breakfast and an evening meal, in a hotel nearby.

Others have opted to stay with family and friends and all affected residents are receiving compensation.

Depending on ongoing repair work, they may not be able to go back to their homes until at least Friday, January 17.

The compensation payments, as well as alternative accommodation and food costs, are estimated to reach around £30,000 and are being met solely by Trafford Housing Trust.

The water supply was returned to all 102 flats and all lifts were working again  by 6pm on Saturday.

Gas safety checks were carried out by the trust as a precaution and electricity was restored to all bar 44 flats on the Trafford side of the block by Sunday.

On Saturday evening, George Carnall Leisure Centre, which is a designated crisis centre, was prepared to take all residents affected and centre staff were on call throughout the night.

But the centre’s manager confirmed only one Circle Court resident ended up sleeping there on Saturday night.

Another resident came by the following morning to warm up and get a hot shower as their heating and hot water were still down.

The manager confirmed the centre was stood down from its crisis response duties by Trafford Council on Sunday.

Representatives from the housing trust, Trafford Council and the emergency services were all on site at Circle Court on Sunday working with contractors to try and resolve the issue.

The trust apologised to residents on its website for the inconvenience caused.

Floors five to 15 on the Trafford side of the building were the worst affected and flats on those floors remain inaccessible.

A workman on site at Circle Court on Monday confirmed the electrics were having to be completely replaced to restore power to that part of the building.

Workers are having to drill through at least three floors of thick concrete to complete the work.

All those impacted by the power outage were offered refreshments at temporary accommodation by Trafford Housing Trust but elderly, vulnerable and disabled residents were contacted individually to arrange more suitable sheltered accommodation for them.

The housing trust also offered all residents pizza in the community space, which doubled as an information centre, over the weekend, on the ground floor at lunchtime on Sunday.

A spokesperson for Trafford Housing Trust said: “The trust is very grateful for the support and assistance from customers, the Residents’ Association, Trafford Council, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue and Greater Manchester Police.”

Larry Gold, chief executive of Trafford Housing Trust, added: “Our customers are at the heart of all we do. We are sorry for any inconvenience and we are working hard to resolve the ongoing issues quickly. We are grateful to residents for their help, support and understanding – they have been absolutely amazing.”

A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “Following the incident, our emergency procedures were implemented and, working closely with our colleagues from Trafford Housing Trust, we opened a rest centre in in the nearby George Carnall Leisure Centre and were able to provide food, shelter and washing facilities for a small number of residents who needed support at this difficult time.”