Sri Lankans living in the island nation had quite a bizarre Friday (December 03)&nbsp;that all started with an early morning directive issued by the State Minister of Co-operative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection,&nbsp;Lasantha Alagiyawanna, saying 
that the distribution and sale of LP gas cylinders has been suspended until further notice.

Following this, Sri Lanka’s state owned LITRO company said that distribution of domestic LP gas has been suspended until further notice.&nbsp;

However, privately owned LAUGFS gas company, despite the directive made by the state minister to suspend the sale of all LP gas cylinders has said that they were not formally informed of the suspension, adding that they intend to sell and distribute LP gas cylinders as usual.

The country was experiencing mysterious cases of LP gas cylinder explosions in recent weeks, causing concern among the public with over 35 such cases reported in the past few days alone.

Just as Sri Lankans were settling in, into the possibility of a domestic gas shortage in the coming weeks, alarm bells were rung again — this time for Covid as Sri Lankan health authorities&nbsp;confirmed the first detection of the Omicron Covid variant in the country.

According to Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, a Sri Lankan who had returned from Nigeria on November 23 had tested positive for COVID-19's&nbsp;new variant.

As if the day wasn’t chaotic enough, soon after this announcement, the power supply was disrupted, plunging the whole country into darkness. The Electricity Board (Ceylon Electricity Board) cited the outage as a result in the breakdown of transmission lines.

Sri Lanka's day to day activities such as traffic lights, petrol station pumps, train lines, water supply, hospitals, workplaces and even sessions in the parliament were disrupted as a result of the island-wide power outage.

Power was gradually restored in Colombo and many areas following the reactivation of multiple grid sub-stations towards late afternoon today (December 03).

However, General Manager of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Engineer M.R. Ranathunge, said the recent disruptions to the electricity supply are suspected to be acts of sabotage adding that CEB engineers are deliberately dragging on the restoration activities unnecessarily.&nbsp;

Yet, the CEB Engineers Trade Union who were engaging in a work to rule campaign, said they had decided to call off their work to rule campaign temporarily, owing to today’s island-wide power outage.

State Minister of National Security and Disaster Management Chamal Rajapaksa stressed that necessary actions would be sought against the CEB engineers if it is revealed that deliberate acts of sabotage have caused the nationwide power outages.

Sri Lankans living in the island nation had quite a bizarre Friday (December 03) that all started with an early morning directive issued by the State Minister of Co-operative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, saying that the distribution and sale of LP gas cylinders has been suspended until further notice.

Sri Lankans living in the island nation had quite a bizarre Friday (December 03) that all started with an early morning directive issued by the State Minister of Co-operative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, saying that the distribution and sale of LP gas cylinders has been suspended until further notice. Following this, Sri Lanka’s state owned LITRO company said that distribution of domestic LP gas has been suspended until further notice. However, privately owned LAUGFS gas company, despite the directive made by the state minister to suspend the sale of all LP gas cylinders has said that they were not formally informed of the suspension, adding that they intend to sell and distribute LP gas cylinders as usual. The country was experiencing mysterious cases of LP gas cylinder explosions in recent weeks, causing concern among the public with over 35 such cases reported in the past few days alone. Just as Sri Lankans were settling in, into the possibility of a domestic gas shortage in the coming weeks, alarm bells were rung again — this time for Covid as Sri Lankan health authorities confirmed the first detection of the Omicron Covid variant in the country. According to Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, a Sri Lankan who had returned from Nigeria on November 23 had tested positive for COVID-19's new variant. As if the day wasn’t chaotic enough, soon after this announcement, the power supply was disrupted, plunging the whole country into darkness. The Electricity Board (Ceylon Electricity Board) cited the outage as a result in the breakdown of transmission lines. Sri Lanka's day to day activities such as traffic lights, petrol station pumps, train lines, water supply, hospitals, workplaces and even sessions in the parliament were disrupted as a result of the island-wide power outage. Power was gradually restored in Colombo and many areas following the reactivation of multiple grid sub-stations towards late afternoon today (December 03). However, General Manager of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Engineer M.R. Ranathunge, said the recent disruptions to the electricity supply are suspected to be acts of sabotage adding that CEB engineers are deliberately dragging on the restoration activities unnecessarily. Yet, the CEB Engineers Trade Union who were engaging in a work to rule campaign, said they had decided to call off their work to rule campaign temporarily, owing to today’s island-wide power outage. State Minister of National Security and Disaster Management Chamal Rajapaksa stressed that necessary actions would be sought against the CEB engineers if it is revealed that deliberate acts of sabotage have caused the nationwide power outages.

Sri Lanka plunges into darkness, overshadowing Omicron detection and LP gas suspension

After a day of complete blackout, Lebanon's power supply was restored to normal. 2 of the biggest power stations in Lebanon were shut down because of a fuel shortage.

Lebanon: Army provides gas oil to secure power for 3 days

Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao said on Wednesday a severe drought could lead to energy rationing in Brazil, contradicting other officials who have said that such a step would not be necessary.

Brazil, one of the world`s agricultural superpowers, is suffering from one of its worst droughts in a century. The lack of rainfall has emptied hydroelectric reservoirs, fanned inflation and hurt farmers. The government has given incentives to use less energy but says rationing is not expected.

"There may have to be some rationing," Mourao told reporters in Brasilia, although he said the government had taken necessary measures to prevent blackouts.

Brazil`s Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque on Tuesday said the country's energy crisis was worse than previously thought.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-unveils-emergency-power-measures-to-beat-drought-394579">Brazil unveils emergency power measures to beat drought</a>

In a televised national address, Albuquerque said Brazil had lost hydropower output equal to the energy consumed by the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil`s second-largest, in five months.

Separately on Tuesday, the ministry announced it would once again raise energy prices, with affected consumers paying on average 6.78% more for electricity starting on Sept. 1.

The meteorological outlook remains grim for Brazil. Rainfall in energy-producing regions is likely to remain well below average in September, the national grid operator ONS said last week.

Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao said on Wednesday a severe drought could lead to energy rationing in Brazil, contradicting other officials who have said that such a step would not be necessary.

Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao said on Wednesday a severe drought could lead to energy rationing in Brazil, contradicting other officials who have said that such a step would not be necessary. Brazil, one of the world`s agricultural superpowers, is suffering from one of its worst droughts in a century. The lack of rainfall has emptied hydroelectric reservoirs, fanned inflation and hurt farmers. The government has given incentives to use less energy but says rationing is not expected. "There may have to be some rationing," Mourao told reporters in Brasilia, although he said the government had taken necessary measures to prevent blackouts. Brazil`s Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque on Tuesday said the country's energy crisis was worse than previously thought. Also read | Brazil unveils emergency power measures to beat drought In a televised national address, Albuquerque said Brazil had lost hydropower output equal to the energy consumed by the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil`s second-largest, in five months. Separately on Tuesday, the ministry announced it would once again raise energy prices, with affected consumers paying on average 6.78% more for electricity starting on Sept. 1. The meteorological outlook remains grim for Brazil. Rainfall in energy-producing regions is likely to remain well below average in September, the national grid operator ONS said last week.

Drought may force Brazil to ration power, says Vice President Mourao

Pakistan witnessed a 3-hour social media blackout as Islamist radicals tried taking the country hostage. Has Imran Khan exposed his hypocrisy on blocking the Internet? WION's Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Social media blackout in Pakistan

Netizens say the snowstorm in Texas was fake. It was supposedly part of a bigger conspiracy planned by Bill Gates. Many claim they have evidence. WION's Palki Sharma brings you a report

Gravitas: Was the Texas snowstorm fake?

After being swept by an unusual winter storm, Texas is facing a dire aftermath situation. 8.8 million people without water, at least 15,000 people still without electricity & rampant food shortages. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Texas faces dire aftermath situation

The winter storm in Texas has killed at least 30. More than 200,000 homes are without power. Millions have been told to boil tap water. Can climate change be blamed for the crisis in Texas? WION's Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: A brutal blast of winter weather leads to blackouts in Texas

Main private channel in Poland along with radio stations and newspapers observed a media blackout to protest against a proposed tax for non-state outlets. Poland's main news channel TVN participated in the move in opposition to the advertising tax. Newspapers carried blank front pages.

"This is where your favourite programme was supposed to be," read a white message on a black background on the TVN24 news channel. 
In a statement to AFP, the channel, owned by the US group Discovery, said the government proposal had "the intention of restricting their pluralism and freedom of expression".

The front pages of dozens of national newspapers including the most widely read dailies Fakt and Gazeta Wyborcza had a message in white on a black background reading "Media Without Choice".

Their websites were also blacked out.

Radio stations also suspended service, with Radio Zet informing its listeners that the tax would mean "liquidation for some media businesses".

"There is no free country without independent media. There is no freedom without freedom of choice," the radio station said.

The new tax, which is expected to take effect later this year, imposes a levy on advertising revenues of television and radio broadcasters, print outlets and internet media companies.

State media are exempt from the tax.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said the tax is part of Europe-wide efforts to tax global tech giants like Google or Facebook but many independent media outlets say they would be unfairly targeted too.

(With AFP inputs)

Main private channel in Poland along with radio stations and newspapers observed a media blackout to protest against a proposed tax for non-state outlets. Poland's main news channel TVN participated in the move in opposition to the advertising tax.

Main private channel in Poland along with radio stations and newspapers observed a media blackout to protest against a proposed tax for non-state outlets. Poland's main news channel TVN participated in the move in opposition to the advertising tax. Newspapers carried blank front pages. "This is where your favourite programme was supposed to be," read a white message on a black background on the TVN24 news channel. In a statement to AFP, the channel, owned by the US group Discovery, said the government proposal had "the intention of restricting their pluralism and freedom of expression". The front pages of dozens of national newspapers including the most widely read dailies Fakt and Gazeta Wyborcza had a message in white on a black background reading "Media Without Choice". Their websites were also blacked out. Radio stations also suspended service, with Radio Zet informing its listeners that the tax would mean "liquidation for some media businesses". "There is no free country without independent media. There is no freedom without freedom of choice," the radio station said. The new tax, which is expected to take effect later this year, imposes a levy on advertising revenues of television and radio broadcasters, print outlets and internet media companies. State media are exempt from the tax. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said the tax is part of Europe-wide efforts to tax global tech giants like Google or Facebook but many independent media outlets say they would be unfairly targeted too. (With AFP inputs)

Poland: Media outlets observe blackout to protest new ad tax

Inspite of the massive power blackout in Pakistan, Imran Khan government has planned to raise power tariff. The decision has been taken in view of increasing International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt. The government was increasing power tariff by Pakistani Rupees 1.90 per unit. This decision is being taken to revive the stalled IMF loan programme under USD 6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF)&nbsp;

As per government projections the circular bill will mount up to Rs 2805 by June 2021. This will put the power sector into cash crunch situation.

The government has already hiked power tariff several times but it has not helped the power sector.

The multilateral creditors, including the IMF, World Bank and Asian Development Bank, had often suggested increasing power tariffs in the past to fix the problem of circular debt.The circular debt was persistently raising trends and it might escalate to Rs 2,805 billion by the end of June 2021.&nbsp;

It had climbed to Rs 2,150 billion during the last financial year 2019-20, indicating that the bleeding of the power sector surged by Rs 538 billion just in 12 months from July 2019 to June 30, 2020, reported The News International.

This shows that the circular debt went up by Rs 44.8 billion on a monthly basis in the last financial year.

Meanwhile, the Imran government shifted the blame on the COVID-19 pandemic and said that the situation ballooned the circular debt in the second half of the last fiscal year.The government performance was also exposed as it claimed that the monthly accumulation of circular debt was curtailed at just Rs 10 to 12 billion.

(With agency inputs)

Inspite of the massive power blackout in Pakistan, Imran Khan government has planned to raise power tariff. The decision has been taken in view of increasing International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt.

Inspite of the massive power blackout in Pakistan, Imran Khan government has planned to raise power tariff. The decision has been taken in view of increasing International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt. The government was increasing power tariff by Pakistani Rupees 1.90 per unit. This decision is being taken to revive the stalled IMF loan programme under USD 6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) As per government projections the circular bill will mount up to Rs 2805 by June 2021. This will put the power sector into cash crunch situation. The government has already hiked power tariff several times but it has not helped the power sector. The multilateral creditors, including the IMF, World Bank and Asian Development Bank, had often suggested increasing power tariffs in the past to fix the problem of circular debt.The circular debt was persistently raising trends and it might escalate to Rs 2,805 billion by the end of June 2021. It had climbed to Rs 2,150 billion during the last financial year 2019-20, indicating that the bleeding of the power sector surged by Rs 538 billion just in 12 months from July 2019 to June 30, 2020, reported The News International. This shows that the circular debt went up by Rs 44.8 billion on a monthly basis in the last financial year. Meanwhile, the Imran government shifted the blame on the COVID-19 pandemic and said that the situation ballooned the circular debt in the second half of the last fiscal year.The government performance was also exposed as it claimed that the monthly accumulation of circular debt was curtailed at just Rs 10 to 12 billion. (With agency inputs)

Pakistan wants to hike power tariff despite recent massive blackout

Following the massive power blackout, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb slammed the Imran Khan-led government for becoming "habitual of blaming everything on PML-N and the opposition" and said that "when the ruler is a thief and incompetent, darkness becomes the destiny of the nation".

Dawn quoted Aurangzeb as saying that while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has no idea of the reason behind the massive blackout, its ministers have "shamelessly" blamed the earlier PML-N governments.

"The PTI government has become habitual of blaming everything on PML-N and the opposition. Though the government still has no idea what caused the breakdown, its ministers are shamelessly blaming it on the past PML-N government," she said.

Questioning the PTI's accusation, she said, "The system was working great when it was handling maximum load in summers. And during wintertime when the load is less than half, it crashed due to Nawaz Sharif."

"Nawaz Sharif saved the nation from 18-hour load-shedding and commissioned new power plants. If the transmission system was bad then how did the 18-hour load shedding come to zero? When the ruler is a thief and incompetent, darkness becomes the destiny of the nation," she added.

Meanwhile, the party spokesperson said that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif-led government used to supply up to 25,000 MW of electricity during summers. The PTI's "incompetence" led to the "breakdown of this system" but it preferred to blame the past government, the spokesperson added.

PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal said the worst-ever power shutdown proved that the incumbent government was "inept" and "incompetent" as the national economy was plunging due to new crises being caused by the rulers on a daily basis, Dawn reported.

A massive power blackout was reported in Pakistan before midnight on Saturday, which plunged several cities into darkness, reported Pakistan daily.

The blackout was reported from several cities such as Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Multan, Kasur among others.

The incident evoked humorous reactions from social media users in the country. Soon after the breakdown, the term #blackout became a top trend on Twitter with over 52,800 tweets till 2:18 am.

"So finally Pakistan showed unity in something that sounds good. 2021 game strong," said a Twitter user.

Another user on Twitter commented: "Finally Imran khan introduces Night mode in Naya Pakistan."

"Everyone in Pakistan on Twitter will be an electrical engineer till morning," said another Twitterati.

Following the massive power blackout, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb slammed the Imran Khan-led government for becoming "habitual of blaming everything on PML-N and the opposition" and said that "when the ruler is a thief and incompetent, darkness becomes the destiny of the nation".

Following the massive power blackout, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb slammed the Imran Khan-led government for becoming "habitual of blaming everything on PML-N and the opposition" and said that "when the ruler is a thief and incompetent, darkness becomes the destiny of the nation". Dawn quoted Aurangzeb as saying that while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has no idea of the reason behind the massive blackout, its ministers have "shamelessly" blamed the earlier PML-N governments. "The PTI government has become habitual of blaming everything on PML-N and the opposition. Though the government still has no idea what caused the breakdown, its ministers are shamelessly blaming it on the past PML-N government," she said. Questioning the PTI's accusation, she said, "The system was working great when it was handling maximum load in summers. And during wintertime when the load is less than half, it crashed due to Nawaz Sharif." "Nawaz Sharif saved the nation from 18-hour load-shedding and commissioned new power plants. If the transmission system was bad then how did the 18-hour load shedding come to zero? When the ruler is a thief and incompetent, darkness becomes the destiny of the nation," she added. Meanwhile, the party spokesperson said that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif-led government used to supply up to 25,000 MW of electricity during summers. The PTI's "incompetence" led to the "breakdown of this system" but it preferred to blame the past government, the spokesperson added. PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal said the worst-ever power shutdown proved that the incumbent government was "inept" and "incompetent" as the national economy was plunging due to new crises being caused by the rulers on a daily basis, Dawn reported. A massive power blackout was reported in Pakistan before midnight on Saturday, which plunged several cities into darkness, reported Pakistan daily. The blackout was reported from several cities such as Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Multan, Kasur among others. The incident evoked humorous reactions from social media users in the country. Soon after the breakdown, the term #blackout became a top trend on Twitter with over 52,800 tweets till 2:18 am. "So finally Pakistan showed unity in something that sounds good. 2021 game strong," said a Twitter user. Another user on Twitter commented: "Finally Imran khan introduces Night mode in Naya Pakistan." "Everyone in Pakistan on Twitter will be an electrical engineer till morning," said another Twitterati.

'Darkness becomes destiny of nation if ruler is a thief': PML-N slams Imran Khan

Pakistan was hit by a massive power blackout early Sunday -- with much of the country, including all major cities enveloped by a sheet of darkness.

The blackout was caused by a fault in southern Pakistan at 11:41 pm local time on Saturday (1841 GMT), power minister Omar Ayub Khan tweeted, citing preliminary reports.

"The fault tripped the transmission system of the country... leading to the shutdown of power plants," Khan said.

The Ministry of Energy said that power had been restored in some parts of the country, and that teams were still working on restoring supply completely in the early hours of Sunday.

The blackout hit all of Pakistan's major cities, including the capital Islamabad, economic hub Karachi and the second-largest city Lahore.

Netblocks, which monitors internet outages said internet connectivity in the country "collapsed" as a result of the outage. Connectivity was at "62 percent of ordinary levels," it said in a tweet.

The electricity distribution system in the nation of more than 210 million people is designed in a way that a simple problem in one section of the grid can lead to cascading breakdowns countrywide.

(with inputs from agencies)

Pakistan was hit by a massive power blackout early Sunday -- with much of the country, including all major cities enveloped by a sheet of darkness. The blackout was caused by a fault in southern Pakistan at 11:41 pm local time on Saturday (1841 GMT), power minister Omar Ayub Khan tweeted, citing preliminary reports.

Pakistan was hit by a massive power blackout early Sunday -- with much of the country, including all major cities enveloped by a sheet of darkness. The blackout was caused by a fault in southern Pakistan at 11:41 pm local time on Saturday (1841 GMT), power minister Omar Ayub Khan tweeted, citing preliminary reports. "The fault tripped the transmission system of the country... leading to the shutdown of power plants," Khan said. The Ministry of Energy said that power had been restored in some parts of the country, and that teams were still working on restoring supply completely in the early hours of Sunday. The blackout hit all of Pakistan's major cities, including the capital Islamabad, economic hub Karachi and the second-largest city Lahore. Netblocks, which monitors internet outages said internet connectivity in the country "collapsed" as a result of the outage. Connectivity was at "62 percent of ordinary levels," it said in a tweet. The electricity distribution system in the nation of more than 210 million people is designed in a way that a simple problem in one section of the grid can lead to cascading breakdowns countrywide. (with inputs from agencies)

Pakistan hit by nationwide power blackout

Cities of Pakistan plunge into darkness on Saturday, following huge blackout due to fault in the power distribution system in the region.

Massive power outage in Pakistan following national grid breakdown

Indonesia's capital Jakarta and some neighbouring provinces on Java island have been hit by a major electricity outage after problems at a number of power stations on Java, the country's state power company PLN said in a statement on Sunday.

The mass rapid transit system has also had to evacuate passengers from trains after the power outage, the company that operates the system said in a statement. It wasn't immediately clear how long the disruption might last, though it appeared to have affected most areas of Jakarta prompting the use of generators in some offices and apartments.

The city of Jakarta is the centre for government and business in Indonesia and is home to more than 10 million people, with around three times that many people living in the surrounding towns in the provinces and West Java and Banten.

The outage caused traffic lights to go out in some areas of the capital as well as disrupting train networks and leaving some passengers stranded.

Indonesia's capital Jakarta and some neighbouring provinces on Java island have been hit by a major electricity outage after problems at a number of power stations on Java, the country's state power company PLN said in a statement on Sunday.

Indonesia's capital Jakarta and some neighbouring provinces on Java island have been hit by a major electricity outage after problems at a number of power stations on Java, the country's state power company PLN said in a statement on Sunday. The mass rapid transit system has also had to evacuate passengers from trains after the power outage, the company that operates the system said in a statement. It wasn't immediately clear how long the disruption might last, though it appeared to have affected most areas of Jakarta prompting the use of generators in some offices and apartments. The city of Jakarta is the centre for government and business in Indonesia and is home to more than 10 million people, with around three times that many people living in the surrounding towns in the provinces and West Java and Banten. The outage caused traffic lights to go out in some areas of the capital as well as disrupting train networks and leaving some passengers stranded.

Indonesia capital hit by major power blackout

A wide swath of New York's Manhattan borough was plunged into darkness Saturday after a transformer explosion knocked out power to subways, stores and Broadway theatres, but the city's main utility said it had restored most power within hours.

No deaths or injuries were reported due to the blackout, which officials said began at 6:47 p.m. EDT (2247 GMT), and darkened a stretch of the city from West 42nd Street to West 72nd Street. The outage occurred 42 years to the day from a major 1970s blackout that sparked looting and rioting in the United States' most populous city.

"I just flew over the city and most of the lights are back on, that's clear. Not all of the lights are back on, that's also clear," New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo told a news conference about five hours after the outage began. "It is chaotic now on the West Side, certainly."

By midnight, power had been restored to most of the customers who had lost it, said John McAvoy, chief executive of utility Con Edison. More than 73,000 homes and businesses lost power, officials said.

Shouts of celebration could be heard in parts of Manhattan as power was restored, bringing lights and air conditioners back to life.

The cause of the outage was unclear, McAvoy said, adding, "it does not appear related to excessive load."

A Reuters witness reported hearing an explosion on the Upper West Side around 7 p.m. (2300 GMT), and a city Fire Department spokesman said firefighters were on the scene of a transformer fire.

Sidewalks in Times Square that are usually crowded with tourists on a balmy summer Saturday night were overflowing as Broadway theatres cancelled performances. The lights of nearby Radio City Music Hall were dark.

In an attempt to cheer up customers, the cast of the musical "Come From Away" performed a song in front of the stage door. Other musicals' cast members also staged street-side performances.

With traffic lights out, cars and taxis jammed intersections as emergency vehicles and fire engines with sirens blaring tried to pass. In some places, civilians stepped in to direct traffic, including one who employed a toy lightsaber.

New York has endured large-scale blackouts before, most recently following Superstorm Sandy in 2012 as well as the widespread 2003 blackout across the U.S. Northeast that left most of the city without power for a day.

A New York blackout that crippled the city during a heatwave on July 13, 1977, sparked rioting and looting. Power was not restored until the next day.

'ARE YOU OK?'

Memories of the violence during the 1977 blackout spooked some tourists visiting the city, including Dave and Dara Campbell, of Gilbert, Arizona.

"People from home were texting us, asking, 'Are you OK?'" said Dara Campbell, 40.

Cuomo sent 100 State Police officers and some National Guard troops to help with traffic control.

As darkness fell just before 9 p.m. (0100 GMT), people on the Upper West Side had to use their mobile phone flashlights to negotiate normally brightly lit streets. There were reports of people trapped in building elevators without power.

Subways throughout the city were affected by the outage, with some lines skipping stations that lacked power and even lines in other boroughs diverted.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was in Iowa campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination when the outage struck, told CNN said he had spoken with the police commissioner and the deputy commissioner responsible for counterterrorism.

"From what we're seeing at this moment, this is simply a mechanical problem," de Blasio said.

With some stations and traffic lights dark, many residents and visitors alike took to the streets and walked, according to social media posts, many of which had the hashtag #blackoutnyc.

Emerging from a subway station next to Central Park, Jeff O'Malley, a consultant who lives in Manhattan, said he was stuck in a subway car for more than an hour.

"We were stuck for about 75 minutes," said O'Malley, 57. "It's completely dark. People had to use the flashlights on their phones to see their way out."

A wide swath of New York's Manhattan borough was plunged into darkness Saturday after a transformer explosion knocked out power to subways, stores and Broadway theatres, but the city's main utility said it had restored most power within hours.

A wide swath of New York's Manhattan borough was plunged into darkness Saturday after a transformer explosion knocked out power to subways, stores and Broadway theatres, but the city's main utility said it had restored most power within hours. No deaths or injuries were reported due to the blackout, which officials said began at 6:47 p.m. EDT (2247 GMT), and darkened a stretch of the city from West 42nd Street to West 72nd Street. The outage occurred 42 years to the day from a major 1970s blackout that sparked looting and rioting in the United States' most populous city. "I just flew over the city and most of the lights are back on, that's clear. Not all of the lights are back on, that's also clear," New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo told a news conference about five hours after the outage began. "It is chaotic now on the West Side, certainly." By midnight, power had been restored to most of the customers who had lost it, said John McAvoy, chief executive of utility Con Edison. More than 73,000 homes and businesses lost power, officials said. Shouts of celebration could be heard in parts of Manhattan as power was restored, bringing lights and air conditioners back to life. The cause of the outage was unclear, McAvoy said, adding, "it does not appear related to excessive load." A Reuters witness reported hearing an explosion on the Upper West Side around 7 p.m. (2300 GMT), and a city Fire Department spokesman said firefighters were on the scene of a transformer fire. Sidewalks in Times Square that are usually crowded with tourists on a balmy summer Saturday night were overflowing as Broadway theatres cancelled performances. The lights of nearby Radio City Music Hall were dark. In an attempt to cheer up customers, the cast of the musical "Come From Away" performed a song in front of the stage door. Other musicals' cast members also staged street-side performances. With traffic lights out, cars and taxis jammed intersections as emergency vehicles and fire engines with sirens blaring tried to pass. In some places, civilians stepped in to direct traffic, including one who employed a toy lightsaber. New York has endured large-scale blackouts before, most recently following Superstorm Sandy in 2012 as well as the widespread 2003 blackout across the U.S. Northeast that left most of the city without power for a day. A New York blackout that crippled the city during a heatwave on July 13, 1977, sparked rioting and looting. Power was not restored until the next day. 'ARE YOU OK?' Memories of the violence during the 1977 blackout spooked some tourists visiting the city, including Dave and Dara Campbell, of Gilbert, Arizona. "People from home were texting us, asking, 'Are you OK?'" said Dara Campbell, 40. Cuomo sent 100 State Police officers and some National Guard troops to help with traffic control. As darkness fell just before 9 p.m. (0100 GMT), people on the Upper West Side had to use their mobile phone flashlights to negotiate normally brightly lit streets. There were reports of people trapped in building elevators without power. Subways throughout the city were affected by the outage, with some lines skipping stations that lacked power and even lines in other boroughs diverted. Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was in Iowa campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination when the outage struck, told CNN said he had spoken with the police commissioner and the deputy commissioner responsible for counterterrorism. "From what we're seeing at this moment, this is simply a mechanical problem," de Blasio said. With some stations and traffic lights dark, many residents and visitors alike took to the streets and walked, according to social media posts, many of which had the hashtag #blackoutnyc. Emerging from a subway station next to Central Park, Jeff O'Malley, a consultant who lives in Manhattan, said he was stuck in a subway car for more than an hour. "We were stuck for about 75 minutes," said O'Malley, 57. "It's completely dark. People had to use the flashlights on their phones to see their way out."

Blackout disrupts Manhattan, darkens Broadway theatres

Power returned to much of Argentina and two neighboring countries following a massive blackout that left tens of millions in the dark on Sunday, but Argentine President Mauricio Macri said the cause of the "unprecedented" outage was still unclear.

Power mostly restored after massive blackout in Argentina & Uruguay, but questions remain

Vast portions of Venezuela remained in the dark on Wednesday as the second major blackout this month left the streets of Caracas mostly empty and residents wondering how long power would be out amid a deepening economic crisis.

President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist government, which had blamed sabotage by the United States and the opposition for the previous power cut, said an "attack" on its electrical system caused the blackout that first hit on Monday. The outage shuttered businesses, paralysed the country's main oil export terminal, and stranded commuters.

Intermittent service has long affected Venezuela's largely rural interior, but residents of Caracas fear the increasing blackouts in the capital mean that unreliable power is becoming the new normal for them, too.

Maria Garces, a dentist in Caracas, described the situation as 'mummies' waking around, trying to get what they need.

"They are starving us to death because if there is no electricity, then the banks are not operating, there's no internet, there's nothing. In others words, people are walking around like mummies trying to get to where they need to get to without really knowing how. They all go out looking for food but then not be able to buy any because there aren't any jobs. I work, I am coming here to take care of an emergency which I will not be able to tend to - I am a dentist. The people are there with oral pain and nothing can be done for them. People are dying in hospitals," Garces said.

The blackout came amid tensions with the United States over the weekend arrival of Russian military planes, which led Washington to accuse Moscow of "reckless escalation" of the country's political crisis.

The United States believes the planes were carrying "cybersecurity personnel," a US official told Reuters on Tuesday. That would suggest part of their mission could be helping Maduro's loyalists with surveillance and protecting the government's cyber infrastructure.

Russia, which has major energy investments in OPEC member Venezuela, has remained a staunch ally of Maduro, while the United States and most other Western nations have endorsed opposition leader Juan Guaido.

Citing the constitution, Guaido in January assumed the interim presidency, saying Maduro's re-election last year was fraudulent. Maduro says Guaido is a US puppet attempting to lead a coup against him and has blamed worsening economic difficulties on sanctions imposed by Washington.

Upon leaving a National Assembly session on Tuesday, individuals threw stones at the vehicle in which Guaido was travelling and tried to open its doors, according to a Reuters witness. Referring to the event on Twitter, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "we condemn the attack on @JGuaido's caravan."

Vast portions of Venezuela remained in the dark on Wednesday as the second major blackout this month left the streets of Caracas mostly empty and residents wondering how long power would be out amid a deepening economic crisis.

Vast portions of Venezuela remained in the dark on Wednesday as the second major blackout this month left the streets of Caracas mostly empty and residents wondering how long power would be out amid a deepening economic crisis. President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist government, which had blamed sabotage by the United States and the opposition for the previous power cut, said an "attack" on its electrical system caused the blackout that first hit on Monday. The outage shuttered businesses, paralysed the country's main oil export terminal, and stranded commuters. Intermittent service has long affected Venezuela's largely rural interior, but residents of Caracas fear the increasing blackouts in the capital mean that unreliable power is becoming the new normal for them, too. Maria Garces, a dentist in Caracas, described the situation as 'mummies' waking around, trying to get what they need. "They are starving us to death because if there is no electricity, then the banks are not operating, there's no internet, there's nothing. In others words, people are walking around like mummies trying to get to where they need to get to without really knowing how. They all go out looking for food but then not be able to buy any because there aren't any jobs. I work, I am coming here to take care of an emergency which I will not be able to tend to - I am a dentist. The people are there with oral pain and nothing can be done for them. People are dying in hospitals," Garces said. The blackout came amid tensions with the United States over the weekend arrival of Russian military planes, which led Washington to accuse Moscow of "reckless escalation" of the country's political crisis. The United States believes the planes were carrying "cybersecurity personnel," a US official told Reuters on Tuesday. That would suggest part of their mission could be helping Maduro's loyalists with surveillance and protecting the government's cyber infrastructure. Russia, which has major energy investments in OPEC member Venezuela, has remained a staunch ally of Maduro, while the United States and most other Western nations have endorsed opposition leader Juan Guaido. Citing the constitution, Guaido in January assumed the interim presidency, saying Maduro's re-election last year was fraudulent. Maduro says Guaido is a US puppet attempting to lead a coup against him and has blamed worsening economic difficulties on sanctions imposed by Washington. Upon leaving a National Assembly session on Tuesday, individuals threw stones at the vehicle in which Guaido was travelling and tried to open its doors, according to a Reuters witness. Referring to the event on Twitter, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "we condemn the attack on @JGuaido's caravan."

Second major blackout leaves Venezuelans fearing power cuts will be the norm

Many regions in Venezuela including some areas in Caracas was hit by new blackout on Monday.

The power cut occurred at 1:28 pm in the capital and the entire city centre was out of electricity.

Shops were closed fearing looters, cellphone signals were also disrupted and television was blanked out.

This comes after weeks of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-maduro-government-shuts-schools-suspends-working-day-as-blackout-enters-second-day-202053">previous blackout which started around March 1</a>&nbsp;and lasted for a week. Many were affected during that time, several patients died, public transport came to a halt, water supplies were interrupted, forcing citizens to turn to sewage outflows and polluted water sources.

Few Venezuelans took to Twitter complaining about the blackout.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I had to make a decision today: I could either go to the supermarket to buy food, or wait to see if there was another blackout. I ate something while I was out reporting ... the fridge is still empty ... good call, very bad way of living. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Venezuela?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Venezuela</a>
— Ana Vanessa Herrero (@AnaVHerrero) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnaVHerrero/status/1110363071577575425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Another <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#blackout</a> in Venezuela. This is beyond nightmare. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/apagon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#apagon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/valencia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#valencia</a>
— J. Carolina MQ (@jekac_7) <a href="https://twitter.com/jekac_7/status/1110361929812455425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Another countrwide black out. 
 
I'm logging off to conserve battery. Plus who knows how long we'll have a connection.
— Joaco in Venezuela (@JoacoMachado) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoacoMachado/status/1110363903584657408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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A Venezuelan newspaper reported that the power was out at Venezuela's main international airport outside Caracas.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelas-maduro-accuses-us-of-financing-mercenary-plot-against-him-205158">President Nicolas Maduro</a>'s government blamed the power outage on an ''attack'' which targeted main hydroelectric plant Guri. It supplies power to 80 per cent of Venezuelans.

Many regions in Venezuela including some areas in Caracas was hit by new blackout on Monday. The power cut occurred at 1:28 pm in the capital and the entire city centre was out of electricity.

Many regions in Venezuela including some areas in Caracas was hit by new blackout on Monday. The power cut occurred at 1:28 pm in the capital and the entire city centre was out of electricity. Shops were closed fearing looters, cellphone signals were also disrupted and television was blanked out. This comes after weeks of the previous blackout which started around March 1 and lasted for a week. Many were affected during that time, several patients died, public transport came to a halt, water supplies were interrupted, forcing citizens to turn to sewage outflows and polluted water sources. Few Venezuelans took to Twitter complaining about the blackout. I had to make a decision today: I could either go to the supermarket to buy food, or wait to see if there was another blackout. I ate something while I was out reporting ... the fridge is still empty ... good call, very bad way of living. #Venezuela — Ana Vanessa Herrero (@AnaVHerrero) March 26, 2019 × Another #blackout in Venezuela. This is beyond nightmare. #apagon #valencia — J. Carolina MQ (@jekac_7) March 26, 2019 × Another countrwide black out. I'm logging off to conserve battery. Plus who knows how long we'll have a connection. — Joaco in Venezuela (@JoacoMachado) March 26, 2019 × A Venezuelan newspaper reported that the power was out at Venezuela's main international airport outside Caracas. President Nicolas Maduro's government blamed the power outage on an ''attack'' which targeted main hydroelectric plant Guri. It supplies power to 80 per cent of Venezuelans.

Several regions in Venezuela face new blackout

Venezuela's public employees were called to return to work Thursday after the government ended a nearly week-long hiatus caused by an unprecedented <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-blackout-civilians-gather-at-highway-after-it-showed-slightest-cellphone-signal-203058">nationwide blackout</a> that deepened widespread anger against President Nicolas Maduro.

Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said in an address on state television Wednesday that Maduro decided the public sector would resume work on Thursday, although state schools would remain closed for an extra day.

The span of decreed public holidays started last Friday, a day after power went out in 22 of Venezuela's 23 states, disrupting transport, causing stockpiled food to rot in fridges and forcing some Caracas residents to source water from sewage outflows as taps ran dry.

By Wednesday, electricity was back in Caracas and other regions. But swaths of western Venezuela remained without power, including the city of Maracaibo where more than 500 shops reported having been looted, according to a retailers' association.

The blackout -- the worst in the history of the once-rich oil-producing nation -- deepened an already grave economic crisis.

According to Ecoanalitica, an economic analysis firm, the vast power cut cost Venezuela $875 million.

"There is major paralysis in many critical areas in the oil sector," it said, estimating that up to 70 per cent of the one million barrels of oil a day Venezuela still managed to produce could end up being affected.

"No water, no power, no medicine, no cash, no transport. This has been dreadful," one Caracas resident, Victoria Milano, 40, told AFP.

The worsening situation has bolstered Juan Guaido, an opposition leader whose claim to be Venezuela's interim president is backed by the US and 50 other countries.

"This desperation and darkness are caused by the dictatorship," he told supporters on Tuesday, alleging that 20 people had died in hospitals because of a lack of power.

He added that he expected to take over the presidential palace "very soon."

Venezuela's pro-Maduro prosecutor's office has hit back with a criminal investigation against Guaido for "sabotage," alleging he had a hand in the blackout. But the opposition leader remains free after the US warned of "consequences" if he were arrested.

- Maduro sees 'victory' - 
Maduro has accused Washington of waging "cybernetic" and "electromagnetic" attacks against Venezuela's Guri hydroelectric plant, which provides power to 80 per cent of the country's 30 million inhabitants.

As he declared "victory" on television late Tuesday, asserting that power had been restored "in almost all" the nation, Caracas residents in formerly middle-class neighbourhoods banged pots in the street in protest.

Experts said an attack by a foreign state actor on Venezuela's grid was possible but unlikely.

"Knowing Venezuela, it was likely an internal failure," Jeff Middleton, the chief technology officer at The Vault Foundation, a company that secures cryptocurrency transactions, told AFP.

Venezuela's infrastructure has degraded over years because of lack of investment, a significant brain drain, and the government's practice of putting the military in charge of key civilian facilities and companies.

That has impacted not only the electricity grid but also the country's vital oil industry.

The situation has worsened with successive rounds of US sanctions against Maduro's government, including steps that have severely curbed its oil exports.

- China, Spain offer help - 
While much of Latin America and Europe have thrown their weight behind Guaido with a view to forcing presidential elections in Venezuela, Maduro has the support of Russia and China, major creditors and buyers of Venezuelan oil.

China on Wednesday said it stood ready to help Venezuela get its electricity up and running again.

"China hopes that Venezuela can quickly find the cause of this accident and restore normal power and social order," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a regular briefing in Beijing.

"China is willing to offer assistance and technical support to Venezuela to restore the power system," Lu said.

The spokesman said China was "very concerned" about reports of a cyber attack, but declined to directly blame the United States.

Spain, one of the EU countries strongly backing Guaido, also offered help to fix Venezuela's "badly deteriorated" electricity system.

Venezuela's public employees were called to return to work Thursday after the government ended a nearly week-long hiatus caused by an unprecedented nationwide blackout that deepened widespread anger against President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela's public employees were called to return to work Thursday after the government ended a nearly week-long hiatus caused by an unprecedented nationwide blackout that deepened widespread anger against President Nicolas Maduro. Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said in an address on state television Wednesday that Maduro decided the public sector would resume work on Thursday, although state schools would remain closed for an extra day. The span of decreed public holidays started last Friday, a day after power went out in 22 of Venezuela's 23 states, disrupting transport, causing stockpiled food to rot in fridges and forcing some Caracas residents to source water from sewage outflows as taps ran dry. By Wednesday, electricity was back in Caracas and other regions. But swaths of western Venezuela remained without power, including the city of Maracaibo where more than 500 shops reported having been looted, according to a retailers' association. The blackout -- the worst in the history of the once-rich oil-producing nation -- deepened an already grave economic crisis. According to Ecoanalitica, an economic analysis firm, the vast power cut cost Venezuela $875 million. "There is major paralysis in many critical areas in the oil sector," it said, estimating that up to 70 per cent of the one million barrels of oil a day Venezuela still managed to produce could end up being affected. "No water, no power, no medicine, no cash, no transport. This has been dreadful," one Caracas resident, Victoria Milano, 40, told AFP. The worsening situation has bolstered Juan Guaido, an opposition leader whose claim to be Venezuela's interim president is backed by the US and 50 other countries. "This desperation and darkness are caused by the dictatorship," he told supporters on Tuesday, alleging that 20 people had died in hospitals because of a lack of power. He added that he expected to take over the presidential palace "very soon." Venezuela's pro-Maduro prosecutor's office has hit back with a criminal investigation against Guaido for "sabotage," alleging he had a hand in the blackout. But the opposition leader remains free after the US warned of "consequences" if he were arrested. - Maduro sees 'victory' - Maduro has accused Washington of waging "cybernetic" and "electromagnetic" attacks against Venezuela's Guri hydroelectric plant, which provides power to 80 per cent of the country's 30 million inhabitants. As he declared "victory" on television late Tuesday, asserting that power had been restored "in almost all" the nation, Caracas residents in formerly middle-class neighbourhoods banged pots in the street in protest. Experts said an attack by a foreign state actor on Venezuela's grid was possible but unlikely. "Knowing Venezuela, it was likely an internal failure," Jeff Middleton, the chief technology officer at The Vault Foundation, a company that secures cryptocurrency transactions, told AFP. Venezuela's infrastructure has degraded over years because of lack of investment, a significant brain drain, and the government's practice of putting the military in charge of key civilian facilities and companies. That has impacted not only the electricity grid but also the country's vital oil industry. The situation has worsened with successive rounds of US sanctions against Maduro's government, including steps that have severely curbed its oil exports. - China, Spain offer help - While much of Latin America and Europe have thrown their weight behind Guaido with a view to forcing presidential elections in Venezuela, Maduro has the support of Russia and China, major creditors and buyers of Venezuelan oil. China on Wednesday said it stood ready to help Venezuela get its electricity up and running again. "China hopes that Venezuela can quickly find the cause of this accident and restore normal power and social order," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a regular briefing in Beijing. "China is willing to offer assistance and technical support to Venezuela to restore the power system," Lu said. The spokesman said China was "very concerned" about reports of a cyber attack, but declined to directly blame the United States. Spain, one of the EU countries strongly backing Guaido, also offered help to fix Venezuela's "badly deteriorated" electricity system.

Venezuela calls public sector back to work as blackout recedes

Amid the massive outgoing political and financial <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-military-not-involved-in-withdrawing-diplomats-from-venezuela-202985">crisis in Venezuela</a>, a highway in the country's capital Caracas, recently turned into one of the most visited sites after it&nbsp;showed the slightest cellphone signal.

Civilians from all around the region moved to the place to connect to their families and friends after days of separation, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

Venezuela which is undergoing a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-congress-declares-state-of-alarm-over-blackout-202729">massive blackout</a> in the history of the country has been running out of electricity for many days.

After years of hyperinflation and economic crisis, the country is now living under dark due to the absence of&nbsp;electricity.

The crippling power blackout has also blocked the flow of running water in the country and forced the people to live without any internet or cellphone connectivity.

The crisis has led many people to seek water from places they would never want to take from.&nbsp;

Maduro has blamed a devastating multi-day blackout plaguing Venezuela on Washington and declared "victory" in what he called an "electricity war" triggered by the Pentagon.

He also called for support from allies including Russia and China as well as the United Nations in investigating the US "cyber attack" he said was responsible for the blackout.

While Maduro pointed the finger at Washington, critics have long blamed the government for failing to maintain the power grid.

Guaido, 35, is seeking to capitalise on public anger over the blackout, which has piled misery on a population suffering years of economic crisis and shortages of food and medicine under Maduro.

The youthful opposition chief -- locked in a power struggle with Maduro since declaring himself interim president on January 23 -- has branded the socialist leader a "usurper" over his re-election in May, widely dismissed as neither free nor fair.

(With inputs from agencies)

Amid the massive outgoing political and financial crisis in Venezuela, a highway in the country's capital Caracas, recently turned into one of the most visited sites after it showed the slightest cellphone signal.

Amid the massive outgoing political and financial crisis in Venezuela, a highway in the country's capital Caracas, recently turned into one of the most visited sites after it showed the slightest cellphone signal. Civilians from all around the region moved to the place to connect to their families and friends after days of separation, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday. Venezuela which is undergoing a massive blackout in the history of the country has been running out of electricity for many days. After years of hyperinflation and economic crisis, the country is now living under dark due to the absence of electricity. The crippling power blackout has also blocked the flow of running water in the country and forced the people to live without any internet or cellphone connectivity. The crisis has led many people to seek water from places they would never want to take from. Maduro has blamed a devastating multi-day blackout plaguing Venezuela on Washington and declared "victory" in what he called an "electricity war" triggered by the Pentagon. He also called for support from allies including Russia and China as well as the United Nations in investigating the US "cyber attack" he said was responsible for the blackout. While Maduro pointed the finger at Washington, critics have long blamed the government for failing to maintain the power grid. Guaido, 35, is seeking to capitalise on public anger over the blackout, which has piled misery on a population suffering years of economic crisis and shortages of food and medicine under Maduro. The youthful opposition chief -- locked in a power struggle with Maduro since declaring himself interim president on January 23 -- has branded the socialist leader a "usurper" over his re-election in May, widely dismissed as neither free nor fair. (With inputs from agencies)

Venezuela blackout: Civilians gather at highway for cellphone signal

Venezuelan family struggles to survive during power outages

Electrical service once again has been restored in parts of Caracas after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-15-dialysis-patients-die-in-venezuelas-blackout-ngo-202260">blackout that began last week</a> affecting more than half the country's states, according to reports from local residents.

Caracas Mayor Erika Farias told Venezuela's Telesur television that electric power has been "progressively" restored starting early Sunday after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelas-maduro-blames-us-weapons-for-massive-blackout-202264">blackout last Thursday</a> - more than 72 hours ago - affected much of the country.

She said that there could still be "fluctuations" in electric power, as have been registered over the past 48 hours in some parts of Venezuela.

However, in the states of Zulia, Aragua, Carabobo, Tachira and at least 11 more of the country's 23 states, residents are still in the dark.

Last Thursday, after the blackout first hit, Electric Energy Minister Luis Motta Dominguez said publicly that the country's main hydroelectric facility - the Guri plant - had been "sabotaged."

In the areas still without electricity, local residents have been reporting on the social networks that their food has begun to spoil.

Venezuela on March 7 experienced a power interruption across most of the national territory starting about 5 pm, although since then there have been intermittent restorations - and subsequent losses - of electricity here and there.

"The National Electricity System has been the target of multiple cybernetic attacks that caused it to go down and have hindered attempts (to establish) ... reconnection. However, we're making great efforts to be able, in the coming hours, to restore stable and definite supply," President Nicolas Maduro said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Miranda state Gov. Hector Rodriguez told the private Union Radio that workers at the state-run Corpoelec electric power company have been working to reestablish stable service.

Because of the blackout, the water supply has been affected, although potable water has been in scarce supply for years in Venezuela, while communications are still problematic across much of the national territory, including in Caracas.

Many businesses remain closed and the few that are open are requiring customers to pay in cash, which is in short supply in Venezuela.

Long lines have been reported at some gas stations given that the great majority are not functioning due to the lack of electricity for the pumps, and the state-run PDVSA oil company has called on the public to remain "calm," saying that "supply will continue at all stations."

Although this is the largest and longest power blackout Venezuela has experienced, the country has been having electricity interruptions lasting more than 24 hours for the past five years, especially in the western state of Zulia.

Electrical service once again has been restored in parts of Caracas after the blackout that began last week affecting more than half the country's states, according to reports from local residents.

Electrical service once again has been restored in parts of Caracas after the blackout that began last week affecting more than half the country's states, according to reports from local residents. Caracas Mayor Erika Farias told Venezuela's Telesur television that electric power has been "progressively" restored starting early Sunday after the blackout last Thursday - more than 72 hours ago - affected much of the country. She said that there could still be "fluctuations" in electric power, as have been registered over the past 48 hours in some parts of Venezuela. However, in the states of Zulia, Aragua, Carabobo, Tachira and at least 11 more of the country's 23 states, residents are still in the dark. Last Thursday, after the blackout first hit, Electric Energy Minister Luis Motta Dominguez said publicly that the country's main hydroelectric facility - the Guri plant - had been "sabotaged." In the areas still without electricity, local residents have been reporting on the social networks that their food has begun to spoil. Venezuela on March 7 experienced a power interruption across most of the national territory starting about 5 pm, although since then there have been intermittent restorations - and subsequent losses - of electricity here and there. "The National Electricity System has been the target of multiple cybernetic attacks that caused it to go down and have hindered attempts (to establish) ... reconnection. However, we're making great efforts to be able, in the coming hours, to restore stable and definite supply," President Nicolas Maduro said on Twitter. Meanwhile, Miranda state Gov. Hector Rodriguez told the private Union Radio that workers at the state-run Corpoelec electric power company have been working to reestablish stable service. Because of the blackout, the water supply has been affected, although potable water has been in scarce supply for years in Venezuela, while communications are still problematic across much of the national territory, including in Caracas. Many businesses remain closed and the few that are open are requiring customers to pay in cash, which is in short supply in Venezuela. Long lines have been reported at some gas stations given that the great majority are not functioning due to the lack of electricity for the pumps, and the state-run PDVSA oil company has called on the public to remain "calm," saying that "supply will continue at all stations." Although this is the largest and longest power blackout Venezuela has experienced, the country has been having electricity interruptions lasting more than 24 hours for the past five years, especially in the western state of Zulia.

Venezuela: Electricity restored in parts of Caracas after 3-day blackout

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/juan-guaido-nicolas-maduro-rallies-set-as-venezuela-struggles-with-blackout-202146">Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro</a> told a crowd of government supporters at a Caracas rally on Saturday that a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-15-dialysis-patients-die-in-venezuelas-blackout-ngo-202260">massive blackout</a> that has affected the country since Thursday was caused by "high-level technology that only the United States government has."

Several hundred people gathered at the rally in central Caracas for a march to denounce the crippling US oil sanctions aimed at cutting off the Maduro government's funding sources.

Maduro blamed the country's worst blackout in decades on the political opposition and said it was caused by "electromagnetic attacks."

The power flickered on and off in parts of Caracas on Saturday, including the presidential palace of Miraflores, according to Reuters witnesses. Six of the country's 23 states still lacked power as of Saturday afternoon, Socialist Party Vice President Diosdado Cabello said on state television.

Earlier in the day, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called on citizens nationwide to travel to the capital Caracas for a protest against Maduro.

Venezuela, already suffering from hyperinflation and shortages of basic goods, has been mired in a major political crisis since Guaido assumed the interim presidency in January, calling Maduro a usurper following the 2018 election, which Maduro won but was widely considered fraudulent.

Maduro says Guaido is a puppet of Washington and dismisses his claim to the presidency as an effort by the administration of US President Donald Trump to control Venezuela's oil wealth.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told a crowd of government supporters at a Caracas rally on Saturday that a massive blackout that has affected the country since Thursday was caused by "high-level technology that only the United States government has.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told a crowd of government supporters at a Caracas rally on Saturday that a massive blackout that has affected the country since Thursday was caused by "high-level technology that only the United States government has." Several hundred people gathered at the rally in central Caracas for a march to denounce the crippling US oil sanctions aimed at cutting off the Maduro government's funding sources. Maduro blamed the country's worst blackout in decades on the political opposition and said it was caused by "electromagnetic attacks." The power flickered on and off in parts of Caracas on Saturday, including the presidential palace of Miraflores, according to Reuters witnesses. Six of the country's 23 states still lacked power as of Saturday afternoon, Socialist Party Vice President Diosdado Cabello said on state television. Earlier in the day, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called on citizens nationwide to travel to the capital Caracas for a protest against Maduro. Venezuela, already suffering from hyperinflation and shortages of basic goods, has been mired in a major political crisis since Guaido assumed the interim presidency in January, calling Maduro a usurper following the 2018 election, which Maduro won but was widely considered fraudulent. Maduro says Guaido is a puppet of Washington and dismisses his claim to the presidency as an effort by the administration of US President Donald Trump to control Venezuela's oil wealth.

Venezuela's Maduro blames US weapons for massive blackout

Fifteen Venezuelans with advanced kidney disease have died after being unable to get dialysis during the country's extended power outage, an NGO reported Saturday.

"Between yesterday and today, there were 15 deaths for lack of dialysis," said Francisco Valencia, director of the Codevida health rights group.

"The situation of people with kidney failure is very difficult, critical, we are talking about 95 per cent of dialysis units, which today likely hit 100 per cent, are paralyzed, due to the power outage," Valencia added.

He warned that there are more than 10,200 dialysis-dependent people nationwide who were at risk by the blackout.

Venezuelans since Thursday afternoon have been in the grips of the worst blackout in the history of the oil-producing country.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/juan-guaido-nicolas-maduro-rallies-set-as-venezuela-struggles-with-blackout-202146">President Nicolas Maduro</a> government has charged that a US-led war on electric power supply was underway.

The United States backs the interim presidency of opposition leader Juan Guaido. He is now recognized as interim president for more than 50 countries.

Maduro told supporters Saturday that almost 70 per cent of power had been restored but at midday there was another cyber "attack at one of the generators that was working perfectly and that disturbed and undid everything we had achieved."

Although Caracas and the states of Miranda and Vargas -- home to the country's international airport and main port -- had intermittent power, the western regions of Barinas, Tachira and Zulia remained without electricity.

Fifteen Venezuelans with advanced kidney disease have died after being unable to get dialysis during the country's extended power outage, an NGO reported Saturday.

Fifteen Venezuelans with advanced kidney disease have died after being unable to get dialysis during the country's extended power outage, an NGO reported Saturday. "Between yesterday and today, there were 15 deaths for lack of dialysis," said Francisco Valencia, director of the Codevida health rights group. "The situation of people with kidney failure is very difficult, critical, we are talking about 95 per cent of dialysis units, which today likely hit 100 per cent, are paralyzed, due to the power outage," Valencia added. He warned that there are more than 10,200 dialysis-dependent people nationwide who were at risk by the blackout. Venezuelans since Thursday afternoon have been in the grips of the worst blackout in the history of the oil-producing country. President Nicolas Maduro government has charged that a US-led war on electric power supply was underway. The United States backs the interim presidency of opposition leader Juan Guaido. He is now recognized as interim president for more than 50 countries. Maduro told supporters Saturday that almost 70 per cent of power had been restored but at midday there was another cyber "attack at one of the generators that was working perfectly and that disturbed and undid everything we had achieved." Although Caracas and the states of Miranda and Vargas -- home to the country's international airport and main port -- had intermittent power, the western regions of Barinas, Tachira and Zulia remained without electricity.

At least 15 dialysis patients die in Venezuela's blackout: NGO

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