Massive power blackouts Thursday hit many US and Canadian cities
including New York and Toronto.
US media reported that a fire in a New York power station had
sparked the blackouts.
There was "no evidence" that it was caused by terrorism, New
York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told CNN.
Following the massive power cut in New York, hundreds of
thousands of people poured onto the streets as offices and
buildings were emptied, witnesses said.
Many parts of Detroit were reportedly paralyzed by the
widespread power outage, said the local power company Detroit
Edison.
In Ottawa and Toronto, Canada, the blackouts occurred at about
the same time as similar outages in the US cities of New York and
Detroit.
(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2003)