SAO PAULO & RIO LEFT IN DARKNESS AFTER POWER FAILURE

A power blackout in Brazil left tens of millions of people sitting by candlelight, after plunging its two largest cities into darkness. Underground railways, traffic lights, street lamps, lifts and electric gates in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro were all affected and it was several hours before the problem could be fixed. Authorities believe it could have been caused by a fault at the giant Itaipu hydroelectric dam. The underground railway systems in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo shut down, after the power cuts hit soon after 2200 (0000 GMT), leaving many passengers stranded. Thousands of rail passengers had to walk down underground tracks to reach stations. No traffic lights or street lights were working, causing traffic to stop or slow to a crawl. Extra police were put on the streets to prevent a surge in crime. Electricity supplies in Paraguay, which shares power from Itaipu, were also disrupted for a short while. The power system lost 17,000 megawatts after the massive plant went offline, possibly because of a storm.