SAO PAULO — Officials and local news reports said a widespread blackout has hit at least seven Brazilian states in the nation's northeast.
Power was gradually returning to the massive area. It wasn't clear how many people were affected.
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Some of the blackouts early Friday lasted only a few minutes, others a few hours and in some areas the power has not yet returned.
The power failure raised questions again about the energy infrastructure in Brazil — a nation that will host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
In 2009, a massive power failure left more than 60 million people in the dark in 18 states. That failure was ultimately blamed storm damage to transmission lines.
