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| Mystery over Brazilian power cut | Mystery over Brazilian power cut |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Brazil is investigating the cause of a massive power cut which may have left up to a fifth of the population without electricity on Tuesday night. | Brazil is investigating the cause of a massive power cut which may have left up to a fifth of the population without electricity on Tuesday night. |
| Initial suspicion focused on the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, which supplies 20% of Brazil's power, but officials there said the facility was working normally. | Initial suspicion focused on the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, which supplies 20% of Brazil's power, but officials there said the facility was working normally. |
| Energy Minister Edson Lobao said a powerful storm may have been a factor in causing the four-hour disruption. | Energy Minister Edson Lobao said a powerful storm may have been a factor in causing the four-hour disruption. |
| The worst blackout to hit Brazil in years also hit neighbouring Paraguay. | The worst blackout to hit Brazil in years also hit neighbouring Paraguay. |
| It caused chaos on the streets of major Brazilian cities, including Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, which will showcase the 2014 World Cup and host the 2016 Olympics. | It caused chaos on the streets of major Brazilian cities, including Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, which will showcase the 2014 World Cup and host the 2016 Olympics. |
| At least 10 Brazilian states were partially or totally affected with problems spread over a wide geographical area, from Recife in the north-east to Rio Grande do Sul in the far south. | At least 10 Brazilian states were partially or totally affected with problems spread over a wide geographical area, from Recife in the north-east to Rio Grande do Sul in the far south. |
| Mr Lobao has reportedly been summoned for urgent talks with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. | Mr Lobao has reportedly been summoned for urgent talks with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. |
| With an investigation under way, he will now be under considerable pressure to ensure that such a drastic power failure is not repeated, the BBC's Gary Duffy reports from Sao Paulo. | With an investigation under way, he will now be under considerable pressure to ensure that such a drastic power failure is not repeated, the BBC's Gary Duffy reports from Sao Paulo. |
| 'Hostage to accidents' | 'Hostage to accidents' |
| An energy ministry official told Reuters news agency that initial findings showed the outage had been triggered when a major storm downed three power lines that run from Itaipu, on Brazil's border with Paraguay. | An energy ministry official told Reuters news agency that initial findings showed the outage had been triggered when a major storm downed three power lines that run from Itaipu, on Brazil's border with Paraguay. |
| "The system is designed to withstand two contingencies... here we had three," said Marcio Zimmermann, the ministry's executive secretary. | "The system is designed to withstand two contingencies... here we had three," said Marcio Zimmermann, the ministry's executive secretary. |
| But some energy experts questioned whether a storm could cause such a widespread power outage. | But some energy experts questioned whether a storm could cause such a widespread power outage. |
| Itaipu Binacional, the company which runs the hydroelectric plant, said the problem had originated elsewhere. | Itaipu Binacional, the company which runs the hydroelectric plant, said the problem had originated elsewhere. |
| It said the dam had been functioning normally, but had not been able to transmit energy because power lines were not working. | It said the dam had been functioning normally, but had not been able to transmit energy because power lines were not working. |
| Mr Zimmermann denied suggestions that the problem could have been caused by computer hackers. | Mr Zimmermann denied suggestions that the problem could have been caused by computer hackers. |
| Adriano Pires, director of the Brazilian Center for Infrastructure Studies, said Brazil's transmission lines were "very badly maintained". | Adriano Pires, director of the Brazilian Center for Infrastructure Studies, said Brazil's transmission lines were "very badly maintained". |
| "This shows that Brazil is very vulnerable," he added. | "This shows that Brazil is very vulnerable," he added. |
| "You can't leave a country the size of Brazil hostage to accidents." | "You can't leave a country the size of Brazil hostage to accidents." |
| 'Bad enough already' | 'Bad enough already' |
| Sao Paulo's roads were still clogged with traffic early on Wednesday after the mayor cancelled restrictions on the amount of cars allowed to circulate at rush hour. | Sao Paulo's roads were still clogged with traffic early on Wednesday after the mayor cancelled restrictions on the amount of cars allowed to circulate at rush hour. |
| It sounded like Brazil had scored a goal as the cheers resounded from every window [when the power returned] Simon, Rio de Janeiro Brazil blackout: Reader accounts class="" href="/2/hi/americas/8354620.stm">Your pictures: Brazil's blackout | |
| One BBC News website reader, Phil Badiz, wrote to say that Sao Paulo was a "city in post-reboot" on Wednesday. | One BBC News website reader, Phil Badiz, wrote to say that Sao Paulo was a "city in post-reboot" on Wednesday. |
| "Only cars were illuminating the city for as far as the eye could see," he said in his account of the blackout. | "Only cars were illuminating the city for as far as the eye could see," he said in his account of the blackout. |
| In Rio many tourists left their hotel rooms along Copacabana beach because of the lack of air conditioning and milled around on the unlit streets. | In Rio many tourists left their hotel rooms along Copacabana beach because of the lack of air conditioning and milled around on the unlit streets. |
| A group of muggers took advantage of the darkness to rob people en masse near Rio's Maracana stadium, which will host the Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies, the Associated Press news agency reports. | A group of muggers took advantage of the darkness to rob people en masse near Rio's Maracana stadium, which will host the Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies, the Associated Press news agency reports. |
| But overall, police said, crime did not rise in Rio and actually fell in Sao Paulo during the outage. | But overall, police said, crime did not rise in Rio and actually fell in Sao Paulo during the outage. |
| "The image of Brazil, of Rio, is bad enough with all the violence," said graphic designer Paulo Viera, 35, as he stood in a restaurant near Copacabana. | "The image of Brazil, of Rio, is bad enough with all the violence," said graphic designer Paulo Viera, 35, as he stood in a restaurant near Copacabana. |
| "We don't need this to happen. I don't know how it could get worse." | "We don't need this to happen. I don't know how it could get worse." |