Thousands of people enraged by power cuts during an extreme heat wave have been rioting across northern India, setting electricity substations on fire and taking power company officials hostage, officials said Saturday. The impoverished state of Uttar Pradesh has never had enough power for its 200 million people – about the population of Brazil – and many receive only a few hours a day under normal conditions, while 63 percent of homes have no electricity access at all. But recent temperatures that soared to 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47 Celsius) have caused power demand to spike at 11,000 megawatts – far higher than the state’s 8,000 MW capacity – triggering blackouts that shut down fans, city water pumps and air conditioners. Thousands of people stormed an electricity substation Friday near the state capital of Lucknow, ransacking offices and taking several workers hostage for 18 hours until […]