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Blackout across Italy, police and reports say
Rome, Sept 28: Power went out across Italy before dawn, police and news reports said, plunging the nation into darkness. Authorities did not immediately know the cause.
Later, the national electricity company ACEA said power was out across the nation.
"As far as we know it's all across Italy," police official Franca Sesti Miraglia said in Rome.
"We don't know the cause yet," she said.
"We're not aware of anything really serious. There
are some problems," Sesti Miraglia said, without giving
details. "With the 'white night,' there were many people out."
Italy was hit with partial power cuts in June, when
people -- suffering in the scorching summer -- overloaded the
system with air conditioners and other draining electric
items. That was the first time in over 20 years that the
national grid operator ordered the power cuts, some 5 per cent
of national demand.
The national grid operator has repeatedly said that
power demand is growing faster than supply and that imported
electricity wouldn't make up for insufficient production in
the long term.
By 6 am local time (0930 IST) power was still out,
and authorities had not yet issued an explanation.
Bureau Report