PARIS: A surge in electricity demand in Germany
due to cold weather triggered massive blackouts across western
Europe on Saturday, including to about a tenth of France,
electricity operators said.
"About five million consumers
lost" power in the blackout, said a spokesman for the French
electricity transmission company RTE.
"Similar cuts took
place in all western European countries," he added.
The
German energy company RWE said the blackouts were caused by surging
electricity demand Saturday evening due to a plunge in temperatures
to the freezing point.
Insufficient electricity supply first
triggered blackouts in parts of western Germany, particularly in
Cologne, and then across France as the French electricity company
EDF tried to fulfill the surging demand but could not.
Electricity was then knocked out in parts of Paris and its
suburbs, as well as numerous other areas of France.
The
blackout hit France around 2100 GMT, with service restored in most
places between one-half and one hour later, said RTE.
The
blackout also disrupted the country's high speed trains, causing
delays on a dozen lines, the SNCF train company said.
Various parts of Italy were also affected, particularly the
northwestern Piedmont area, which lost electricity for around 30
minutes, a news agency said citing emergency services.
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