Exploring the biggest blackouts in history

Northeast United States and Canada, 1965

On November 9, 1965, a faulty relay at Sir Adam Beck Station in Ontario, Canada, caused the Northeast blackout. The power outage affected about 30 million people in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the US, and Quebec and Ontario in Canada.

The blackout hit New York City during rush hour, and about 800,000 people were using the subway at the time and had to be evacuated. Power came back after 13 (long) hours.

Thailand, 1978

On March 18, 1978, a failure at the South Pranakhorn Powerplant in Samut Prakan plunged the whole country into darkness. The power outage lasted over nine hours, and remains the biggest blackout in Thailand's history.

Canada, 1989

On March 13, 1989, a geomagnetic storm caused the entire province of Quebec to go without electrical power for 12 hours.

The rare celestial event plunged about six million people into darkness, affecting thousands of businesses as well as major transport systems, including Montreal Metro and Dorval Airport.

Brazil, 1999

Approximately 97 million people were affected by the power outage, which lasted 103 days. Police were deployed across major cities to prevent looting and muggings.

India, 2001

On January 12, 2001, India's northern grid collapsed after the failure of an Uttar Pradesh substation. The power outage affected an estimated 226 million people (about a quarter of India's population at the time).

Business losses amounted to about US$107.1 million, according to estimations by the Confederation of Indian Industry. The blackout lasted for 12 hours.

United States and Canada, 2003

An estimated 50 million people were affected by the blackout, with financial damages amounting to US$6 billion.

Italy, 2003

On September 28, 2003, around 57 million people—nearly the entire population of Italy—were affected by a major power outage.

The blackout was caused by a fault on the Swiss power system, close to the border with Italy. It took 12 hours for the Italian peninsula to restore power.

Bali and Java, Indonesia, 2005

A failure in a transmission line cut electricity supply and caused the system to shut down.

Europe, 2006

The blackout affected people in Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. The power grids of several other countries were also affected, including those of Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Czechia, Greece, and as far as Morocco.

China, 2008

Sadly, the blackout occurred during the celebrations of the Chinese New Year. The severe weather not only left millions without power, but it also destroyed many infrastructures, leaving many in the dark and cold, without access to water at home.

Brazil and Paraguay, 2009

There was suspicion of hackers having caused the power outage, but a Wikileaks document refuted the suspicions. It took 10 days for power to be fully restored.

India, 2012

The collapse of India's interconnected northern power grids, reportedly caused by overloading and human error, led to the massive power outage. The blackout lasted for two days.

Pakistan, 2015

On January 25, 2015, pro-independence separatists destroyed two transmission towers, cutting off power to some 140 million people.

Turkey, 2015

Turkey was plunged into darkness after a power plant failure on March 31, 2015. It's estimated that over 70 million people were affected by the blackout, and damages amounted to at least US$700 million.

Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, 2019

On June 16, 2019, a power outage plunged three South American countries into darkness. The incident was caused by an operative error by transmission lines operator Transener.

Chile, 2025

On February 25, a massive blackout hit Chile, affecting millions across the country. The outage was triggered by a failure in the national power grid, causing widespread disruptions to daily life and essential services.

Europe, 2025

Several European nations struggled on April 28 to cope with massive power outages that plunged parts of the continent into darkness. Chaos erupted in Spain, Portugal, and parts of France, as authorities scrambled to restore power amidst a severe blackout. Homes, offices, streetlights, public transportation, and more suddenly lost power, while authorities attempted to understand what had happened and, more importantly, how to fix it. Rumors of a potential security breach, namely a cyberattack, caused panic among citizens who rushed to fuel their cars and stock up on essentials, reminiscent of the COVID-19 lockdowns.