Rio De Janeiro, Nov 11 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Brazil suffered a major power outage that lasted for hours on end, and its major cities and nine states bore the brunt of it. Many residents feared that this power outage could be a major cause of concern from the security aspect for the country, which is all set to host the 2016 Olympics.

There was complete darkness due to lack of power, for more than two hours in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and several other major cities, affecting millions of people, after transmission problems knocked one of the world’s biggest hydroelectric dams off. Even the crucial airport operations were hindered and many flights needed to be rescheduled too. Subways system too went for a toss due to lack of power.

Paraguay was also plunged into the depths of darkness, but fortunately for its residents it was only for less than a half hour.

Brazilian authorities blamed the numerous storms that had plagued the nation, and which took down power lines and towers, causing a domino effect that rippled across the region.

Because of the power disruption, the train service stopped, electric-powered buses stopped right on the streets affecting the traffic and also the traffic lights weren’t working leaving the city in a completely chaotic situation.

In Rio, Governor Sergio Cabral sent an elite police unit into the streets early on Wednesday to help maintain calm in a city known for its high crime rate. The mayor dispatched 300 extra-unarmed civil guards to help control traffic out of its chaotic nature.