Taiwan: Massive blackout leaves many without power

Major cities across Taiwan including the capital Taipei have reported widespread unexplained power outages.

State-run power operator Taiwan Power Company confirmed the south of Taiwan was affected, besides other areas.

The exact cause of the outage is still unknown and authorities have said they are investigating.

Central News Agency quoted Taiwan Power as saying "equipment failure" at the Xingda power plant caused the "disconnection of the southern system".

Local media outlet Taiwan News reported chaotic scenes at road junctions as traffic lights failed to function.

Traffic police have been dispatched to direct vehicles and fire trucks deployed across cities to deal with emergencies such as rescuing people trapped in lifts, the news outlet reported.

But Taipei's city government said the mass transit system was operating normally.

Besides Taipei, major urban areas such as Kaohsiung and Tainan reported some power outages.