Indian protests over power blackouts amid heatwave spread to New Delhi

Angry protests broke out over power blackouts as summer temperatures soared, fuelling concerns of a repeat of an electricity crisis two years ago, police said yesterday.

Residents took to the streets around midnight on Tuesday in New Delhi's northeast, attacking vehicles as frustration mounted over the power cuts, a senior officer said.

"So far we have arrested three people for damaging a bus and a gypsy (Jeep) while protesting at power cuts in the Bhajanpura area," additional commissioner of Delhi police V.V Chaudhary said.

Power failures, mainly in northern India, have been triggered by a spike in demand as temperatures soar, leaving a dilapidated electricity infrastructure unable to cope.

Riots erupted over the weekend in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, with residents storming a substation near the capital Lucknow.

The Delhi government announced emergency power-saving measures on Sunday, including cutting then massive electricity usage at the city's shopping centres, turning off street lights and ordering government offices to not use air conditioners at certain times.