Photos: India Suffers Through Record Blackouts

Posted Jul 31, 2012

Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world’s worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travellers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days.

1 of 37

An Indian barber holding a candle, has a haircut for a customer at his shop in Kolkata, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest blackout. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
2 of 37

An electric pylon carrying high tension wires is pictured in front of a residential complex after electricity was restored in New Delhi July 31, 2012. Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world's worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travellers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
3 of 37

A shopkeeper (L) interacts with a customer at his illuminated shop after electricity was restored in New Delhi July 31, 2012. Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world's worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travellers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
4 of 37

Indian commuters wait for a bus on a street illuminated with street vendor's kiosks following a power outage in Kolkata, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest blackout. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
5 of 37

A man walks on an illuminated street after electricity was restored in New Delhi July 31, 2012. Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world's worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travellers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
6 of 37

A shopkeeper watches a screen as he waits for customers at his illuminated shop after the electricity was restored in New Delhi July 31, 2012. Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world's worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travellers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
7 of 37

An Indian man prepares a meal as others sit at a roadside shop on a dark street following a power outage near a railway station in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest blackout. (AP Photo/S.K.Yadav)
8 of 37

Indian stranded passengers wait near a parked train for the services to resume following a power outage at a railway station in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest-ever blackout. Hundreds of trains stalled across the country and traffic lights went out, causing widespread traffic jams in New Delhi. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
9 of 37

Commuters work on their laptops as they wait for the bus to arrive at a bus stop during a power-cut at Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi July 31, 2012. Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world's worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travellers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days. REUTERS/Parivartan Sharma
10 of 37

A building is seen dark following a power outage in Kolkata, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest blackout. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
11 of 37

Streets are packed in heavy traffic due to a power outage in central New Delhi, India, July 31, 2012. About 600 million people lost power in India when the country's northern and eastern electricity grids failed, crippling the country for a second consecutive day. (Partha Sarkar/Xinhua/Zuma Press/MCT)
12 of 37

Indian stranded passengers wait inside a stalled train as they wait for the services to resume after a power outage in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest blackout. Hundreds of trains stalled across the country and traffic lights went out, causing widespread traffic jams in New Delhi. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
13 of 37

A teacher (C, top) conducts a lesson for students in the light of kerosene lamps and a candle during a power-cut inside a house in Kolkata July 31, 2012. Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world's worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travellers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
14 of 37

A young Indian boy watches from a window of a stalled train as he waits for the train to resume its services following a power outage at a railway station in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest blackout. Hundreds of trains stalled across the country and traffic lights went out, causing widespread traffic jams in New Delhi. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
15 of 37

Indian passengers sit on the railway tracks near the platform of Sealdah train station waiting for the resumption of services during a power failure in Kolkata on July 31, 2012. A massive power failure hit India for the second day running as three regional power grids collapsed, blacking out more than half the country in a crisis affecting over 600 million people. DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/GettyImages
16 of 37

Indian women and children wait inside a train carriage at a railway station in New Delhi on July 31, 2012. A massive power failure hit India for the second day running as three regional power grids collapsed, blacking out more than half the country in a crisis affecting over 600 million people. ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/GettyImages
17 of 37

Indian passengers wait on the platform of Sealdah train station for the resumption of services during a power failure in Kolkata on July 31, 2012. A massive power failure hit India for the second day running as three regional power grids collapsed, blacking out more than half the country in a crisis affecting over 600 million people. DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/GettyImages
18 of 37

Heavy traffic moves along a busy road during a power-cut at the traffic light junctions in New Delhi July 31, 2012. Grid failure hit India for a second day on Tuesday, cutting power to hundreds of millions of people in the populous northern and eastern states including the capital Delhi and major cities such as Kolkata. REUTERS/B Mathur
19 of 37

A man is silhouetted against a light as he stands on an illuminated street after electricity was restored in New Delhi July 31, 2012. Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world's worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travellers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
20 of 37

Stranded passengers wait for train services to resume following a power outage in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest-ever blackout. Hundreds of trains stalled across the country and traffic lights went out, causing widespread traffic jams in New Delhi. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
21 of 37

Indian stranded passengers wait for the train services to resume at a railway station following a power outage in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest-ever blackout. Hundreds of trains stalled across the country and traffic lights went out, causing widespread traffic jams in New Delhi. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
22 of 37

Trains stop in service at a railway station following a power outage in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest-ever blackout. Hundreds of trains stalled across the country and traffic lights went out, causing widespread traffic jams in New Delhi. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
23 of 37

Indian stranded passengers wait on a platform and some of them on rail tracks for the train services to resume following a power outage at Sealdah station in Kolkata, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest-ever blackout. Hundreds of trains stalled across the country and traffic lights went out, causing widespread traffic jams in New Delhi. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
24 of 37

Traffic moves along a busy road after electricity was restored in New Delhi July 31, 2012. Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world's worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travellers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
25 of 37

A stranded Indian train passenger rests inside a railway coach as he waits for the train service to resume following a power outage in Kolkata, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity for several hours in, by far, the world's biggest-ever blackout. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
26 of 37

Indian passengers wait on the stairs of a bridge at railway staion during a power outage in New Delhi on July 31, 2012. A massive power failure hit India for the second day running as three regional power grids collapsed, blacking out more than half the country in a crisis affecting over 600 million people. PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/GettyImages
27 of 37

An Indian man looks at towers carrying electricity power cables in Mumbai on July 31, 2012. A massive power failure hit India for the second day running at around 1:00 pm as three regional power grids collapsed, blacking out more than half the country in a crisis affecting over 600 million people. PEPUNIT PARANJPE/AFP/GettyImages
28 of 37

A traffic jam following power outage and rains at the Delhi-Gurgaon road on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity in one of the world's biggest-ever blackouts. (AP Photo)
29 of 37

Indian patients lay in beds during a power cut at a hospital in Siliguri on July 31, 2012. A massive power failure hit India for the second day running as three regional power grids collapsed, blacking out more than half the country in a crisis affecting over 600 million people. DIPTENDU DUTTA/AFP/GettyImages
30 of 37

Passengers sit in a train and wait for power to get restored at a railway station in New Delhi, India, Monday, July 30, 2012. A major power outage has struck northern India, plunging cities into darkness and stranding hundreds of thousands of commuters. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
31 of 37

Commuters walk on empty railway tracks at the New Delhi railway station following a power outage in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving more than 600 million people without government-supplied electricity in one of the world's biggest-ever blackouts. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi)
32 of 37

Indian laborers sleep on railway platforms at the New Delhi railway station following a power outage in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving more than 600 million people without government-supplied electricity in one of the world's biggest-ever blackouts. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi)
33 of 37

Passengers sit on a platform for their train to arrive as they wait for electricity to be restored at a railway station in New Delhi July 31, 2012. Grid failure hit India for a second day on Tuesday, cutting power to hundreds of millions of people in the populous northern and eastern states including the capital Delhi and major cities such as Kolkata. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
34 of 37

A general view of an electric power station on the outskirts of Jammu July 31, 2012. Grid failure hit India for a second day on Tuesday, cutting power to hundreds of millions of people in the populous northern and eastern states including the capital Delhi and major cities such as Kolkata. REUTERS/Mukesh Gupta
35 of 37

Commuters wait for a metro train, in New Delhi, India, Monday, July 30, 2012. Northern India's power grid crashed Monday, halting hundreds of trains, forcing hospitals and airports to use backup generators and leaving 370 million people - more than the population of the United States and Canada combined - sweltering in the summer heat. (AP Photo)
36 of 37

A man walks on vacant railway tracks during a power outage, in the northern city of Allahabad on July 30, 2012. A massive power cut blacked out northern India Monday, leaving more than 300 million people without power, shutting down water plants and stranding hundreds of trains in the worst outage in a decade. AFP/GettyImages
37 of 37

An illuminated stretch of a residential complex is pictured after electricity was restored in New Delhi July 31, 2012. Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world's worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travellers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi