Clumsy cable thieves bring down seven pylons

Theft of power lines has become rampant, the China Daily said, two days after the cut cable left 80,000 people in the dark.

Despite the shock, it didn't say if anyone had been charged.

The high-tension cable was cut in Huayin, northern Shaanxi province, and fell on to the highway below, the newspaper said.

"The fallen wire was caught on a passing tanker truck, pulling down seven steel towers," local official Zhao Zhimin was quoted as saying.

The accident brought traffic to a halt for nine hours and caused some 1.3 million yuan (86,152 pounds) in direct economic losses, the newspaper said without elaborating.

Power supplies have been running short across China as strong economic expansion has fuelled the fastest power demand growth in the world.

The wire is cut for scrap value. Missing manhole covers are a hazardous fact of life on the sidewalks and roads of Beijing where they are stolen to be sold for a couple of dollars each.

Zhang Guobao, vice minister of the powerful National Reform and Development Commission, called for inspections of electrical networks servicing hospitals, airports and other public facilities, the China Daily said.

"The power cut has renewed the focus on China's strained electricity network, with officials working to prevent blackouts, whether brought about by sabotage or natural causes such as storms and earthquakes," the China Daily said.

China suffered its worst power shortage in two decades last summer, forcing factories in badly hit areas to change operating shifts and hotels, shops and offices to dim lights and cut air-conditioning.