Italy blackout blamed on falling branch
A storm-tossed tree branch which hit Swiss power lines helped trigger a massive blackout covering almost all of Italy, trapping thousands on trains and forcing the Pope to use a back-up generator to proclaim his new cardinals.
Yesterday’s blackout, blamed for three deaths, has underlined the dangers of Italy’s reliance on imported power.
It was Italy’s worst power cut since the Second World War. Most of the country’s 58 million people were affected – more than in North America’s biggest blackout, which left 50 million people without power in Canada and the United States on August 14.
As in the North American blackout, there was initially confusion about the cause and finger-pointing among neighbouring countries. With scant domestic supply and swelling public demand, Italy imports most of its electricity.
The blackout began at 3.25am, hitting all of Italy except the island of Sardinia. The lights came back on in northern Italy by early morning and in most of Rome shortly after noon. Power was restored to the rest of Italy last night, according to television news reports.
The blackout was blamed for the deaths of three elderly women, the ANSA news agency said.
Two women – one 81 and the other 72 – died in separate accidents when they fell down darkened stairs, the agency said. A 92-year-old woman died of burns after a candle set her clothes on fire.
As experts tried to work out the cause, none of the three countries involved wanted to take the blame. Swiss and French energy officials said the responsibility was Italy’s, while the Italians noted that the power cut came from France.
Initial investigations indicated a chain reaction that started in Switzerland and moved through France.
In Switzerland, a tree branch hit and disabled a power transmission line. This caused another Swiss line to overload, which then knocked out French transmission to Italy.
“After that, all connections to Italy dropped out,” said Rolf Schmid, spokesman for the Swiss power company Atel.
Authorities said there were no indications of foul play.
The blackout brought to a halt 110 trains with 30,000 passengers on board, and delayed numerous flights in addition to a few that had to be cancelled. Hospitals were forced to rely on generators, interrupting a six-hour liver transplant operation in Turin.
In Rome, the city had been holding an all-night festival with museums, bars and shops still open at the time of the blackout. Many people who had been encouraged to use public transport found themselves stranded at underground stations.
The Vatican was also affected, with St Peter’s Basilica – normally lit up overnight – in darkness.
When Pope John Paul II announced a slate of new cardinals from his window overlooking St Peter’s Square, the Vatican had to amplify his remarks with a back-up generator, while journalists wrote by candles and flashlights in the Holy See press office.
