54 degrees C in Iraq: electricity riots: electricity minister resigns, Iraq blames Iran

First 9 of 9 paragraphs shown It appeared aircon load blackouts in Iran led to riots in Iraq, in 54C heat, as a cascade failure appeared to spread to Iraq, which can depend on cross-border flow from Turkey, Iran and Egypt.
Electricity minister resigns: Electricity Minister Karim Wahid's resignation was accepted by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Karim Wahid offered to quit on Monday after weekend demonstrations in the southern city of Basra where police shot two men dead. Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani was considered as a successor.
US - Australia invasion made it worse: PM Maliki warned Iraqis on Tuesday that two more years of power shortages lay ahead as there was no quick fix to the issue, which worsened dramatically in the wake of the US-led invasion of the country in 2003.
Siemens and GE power stations planned: "The power stations being built by Siemens and GE will take two years to complete at least," he said Maliki described as "rioters" the hundreds of men who took to the streets of Basra on Saturday in heat that hit highs of 54 degrees Celsius (130 degrees Fahrenheit).
Hot, angry folks smash government windows: Police opened fire after the protesters smashed the windows of am Iraq provincial government office. Two demonstrators were killed, and police guarding the Dhi Qar provincial government headquarters in the southern city of Nasiriyah, stoned, putting 17 of them in hospital, including a lieutenant colonel.
Iran blamed: The Iraq Malik ministry blamed Iran as it had cut 250 megawatts to the Iraqi national national grid.
Iran says aircon load blackout the problem: But Iranian energy ministry official Mehran Erfani said on Wednesday that the interruption had been very brief and had no impact on the overall availability of power in Iraq.
Iran voltage fell in demand spike: "Iran's electricity supplies to Iraq were disrupted for only a few hours due to a fall in voltage, excessive use and high temperature," Erfani told Iran's English-language Press TV.
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