SAO PAULO – Around 1.4 million households in Sao Paulo, Brazil, were without power on Saturday almost 24 hours after a brief but powerful storm swept through South America's largest metropolis. At least seven people were killed.
Officials in Sao Paulo state said that record wind gusts Friday night of up to 67 mph (108 kph) knocked down transmission lines and uprooted trees, causing severe damage in some parts. The storm also shut down several airports and interrupted water service in several areas, according to the state government.
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One person died when a tree fell on an outdoor stall, authorities said. At least six other people in surrounding Sao Paulo state also died.
Authorities originally expected to restore power within a few hours. But several neighborhoods in the metropolitan area, which is home to 21 million people, were still in the dark on Saturday, and authorities were urging residents to limit their consumption of water.
Most of the disruptions were in the service area of a single utility, Enel-Sao Paulo, which is partly owned by AES Corporation. In May, the Virginia-based power company said it was selling its 47% stake in its Brazil unit for $640 million.
Regulators ordered an inspection of the utility, warning that if it doesn't resolve the outages in a satisfactory and swift manner it will move to terminate the private concession.
For its part, Enel said that 17 high voltage transmission lines were affected by the storm. It did not provide a time frame for re-establishing service.