South Australia Police have confirmed they are investigating a death that occurred during Wednesday's nationwide Telstra outage, following claims from Senator Kerrynne Liddle that an elderly person died due to inability to call triple-0.
Police Statement on Investigation
On Thursday afternoon, South Australia Police (SAPOL) issued a statement saying they had repeatedly attempted to contact Senator Liddle on Wednesday to obtain information about a Facebook post concerning the Triple Zero (000) outage, without success. On Thursday, police attended her office and spoke with staff and the senator. As a result, contact was made with the family of an individual who died at a regional hospital on Wednesday.
Senator Liddle's Claims
Senator Liddle posted on Facebook on Wednesday evening that her office had received a report of a tragic death after an apparent failure to connect to triple zero during the nationwide outage. She described it as a devastating failure and said she prioritized the family's privacy by not releasing further details. On Thursday, she doubled down, stating her office advised the family to contact SAPOL directly, which they did.
Police Minister's Response
Earlier, Police Minister Michael Brown accused Liddle of causing unnecessary public alarm and challenged her to back up her claims. He said if people make claims involving police, they need to cooperate when necessary. A Telstra spokesperson said the company was aware of the death and was working with police.
Further Comments
7NEWS attempted to contact Senator Liddle on Thursday but was told her office was closed. Her advisor stated she would not be making further comments.
