World Cup Power Failure Sparks Riots in Bangladesh

A power failure during the World Cup soccer led to a riot, not in South Africa, but some 5,000 miles away in Dhaka.
World Cup Power Failure Sparks Riots in Bangladesh
6/14/2010
Updated:
6/14/2010
A power failure during the World Cup soccer led to a riot, not in South Africa, but some 5,000 miles away in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

Just before the match Saturday night between Argentina and Nigeria, scheduled to start at 8 p.m. local time, the Saidabad District in South Dhaka was hit by a blackout. This sparked a violent reaction from frustrated soccer fans.

An angry mob of nearly 200 youths took to the streets, some armed with iron rods, blocked roads for several hours, police official Mohammed Moniruzzaman told Associated Press.

No injuries were reported. Although no Bangladesh national soccer team has ever qualified for a World Cup tournament, it remains a very popular sport in the country.

Authorities say they are attempting to reduce the number of blackouts, a regular hazard in the impoverished nation, during World Cup play.