World’s worst power cuts since 2000

Paris, France | AFP | Massive electricity blackouts, like the one which ground much of Venezuela to a halt on Friday, have struck several times around the world since the beginning of the 21st century.

– Latin America –
Venezuela previously experienced a power outage on September 3, 2013, which deprived 70 percent of the country of electricity. Businesses were shut down and massive traffic jams built up in several cities, while the Caracas metro was put out of action.

In Panama, on January 20, 2019, the capital and several regions went without electricity three days before the arrival of Pope Francis for World Youth Day. Panama residents had no drinking water for six hours due to the breakdown of the water treatment plant.

On July 2, 2017, some five million people in Costa Rica were hit by a huge power outage which plunged millions of people across Central America, including in Nicaragua and El Salvador, into darkness.

In Brazil on November 10, 2009, a short circuit knocked out electricity, affecting 50 million people.

In March 1999 between 75 and 90 million people were left without electricity in the south of the country for several hours.

In Colombia on April 26, 2007, a breakdown at a power station paralysed 70 percent of the country for two hours.

In Chile on March 14, 2010, more than half the country including the capital Santiago were left in the dark for several hours after a breakdown caused by an earthquake the previous month.

– Asia –
On July 30-31, 2012 India was hit by a blackout affecting half the country after the near simultaneous collapse of the networks serving 20 northern, eastern and northeastern states.

In January 2001 a breakdown in a plant in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh affected 200 million people.

Massive power outages also hit Bangladesh in 2014 and Sri Lanka in 2016.

– United States, Canada –
On August 14, 2003 the worst power cut in US history affected 50 million people in the northeast of the United States including New York and part of Canada.

On February 26, 2008 a breakdown in a nuclear plant in Florida affected four million people for 24 hours.

– Europe –
On November 4, 2006 a breakdown in the German network plunged a large part of western Europe into darkness for almost an hour.

Britain and Italy in 2003, Russia in 2005, the Netherlands, Turkey and France in 2015 also suffered longer power outages, which, nevertheless, affected fewer people.

In Ukraine on December 23, 2015 a cyberattack caused a power outage in the west of the country for several hours, a first in the world.

– Africa –
In Nigeria in June 2001 up to 50 million people lost power for several days following the collapse of a giant pylon in the east of the country.

Zambia in 2005 and 2010 and Algeria in 2003 also suffered from major power cuts.

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