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CNN Live Sunday

Blame Game for Power Outage Begins in Rome

Aired September 28, 2003 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin today in Rome where power is coming back on and the blame game is just beginning. A massive power failure darkened the entire Italian mainland. CNN Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): It took only four seconds to plunge most of the country into darkness. Four seconds, during which trains, subways, traffic lights all stopped working at once. Italian officials believe the simultaneous failure of two power lines providing electricity from neighboring France appeared to be the cause. A failure, they say, which caused a catastrophic domino effect throughout the Italian grid.

The outage took place at 3:20 in the morning, when most were asleep, except in Rome, where an all night festival, supposed to last until daybreak, came to an abrupt end. With subways not working, people waited hours for buses. And at the capital's rail station, many questions, few answers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no train at all. Nobody knows anything. We just know there is no electricity in Italy. And we don't know why, and how long it is going on.

VINCI: By early morning power was restored in most of northern Italy. A few hours later, southern Italy and Rome followed.

This American tourist missed his train to Pompeii.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was just calm. There were a few people queued around information kiosks, very worried, you know, when can I make a train. But that was just maybe a dozen people, compared to thousands who were just calmly waiting.

VINCI: Still, defense officials report no major injuries or deaths a result of the blackout. The power failure hit the Vatican, as well, leaving thousands stranded outside the museums and the Sistine Chapel.

French officials confirmed that two high power lines were briefly cut overnight to avoid overload during a storm. But they deny responsibility for the blackout, saying energy supply was restored immediately.

(END VIDEOTAPE) TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 28, 2003 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin today in Rome where power is coming back on and the blame game is just beginning. A massive power failure darkened the entire Italian mainland. CNN Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): It took only four seconds to plunge most of the country into darkness. Four seconds, during which trains, subways, traffic lights all stopped working at once. Italian officials believe the simultaneous failure of two power lines providing electricity from neighboring France appeared to be the cause. A failure, they say, which caused a catastrophic domino effect throughout the Italian grid.

The outage took place at 3:20 in the morning, when most were asleep, except in Rome, where an all night festival, supposed to last until daybreak, came to an abrupt end. With subways not working, people waited hours for buses. And at the capital's rail station, many questions, few answers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no train at all. Nobody knows anything. We just know there is no electricity in Italy. And we don't know why, and how long it is going on.

VINCI: By early morning power was restored in most of northern Italy. A few hours later, southern Italy and Rome followed.

This American tourist missed his train to Pompeii.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was just calm. There were a few people queued around information kiosks, very worried, you know, when can I make a train. But that was just maybe a dozen people, compared to thousands who were just calmly waiting.

VINCI: Still, defense officials report no major injuries or deaths a result of the blackout. The power failure hit the Vatican, as well, leaving thousands stranded outside the museums and the Sistine Chapel.

French officials confirmed that two high power lines were briefly cut overnight to avoid overload during a storm. But they deny responsibility for the blackout, saying energy supply was restored immediately.

(END VIDEOTAPE) TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com