Power cut hits Georgian commuters

Saakashvili has an uphill task to get Georgia back on its feet

Much of Georgia was plunged into darkness following an early morning failure at the main power station.

Subway passengers in the capital Tbilisi were among those affected when the power went off at 0800 (0520GMT).

Emergency officials worked to evacuate the thousands of stranded passengers, and ambulances were on stand by.

Correspondents say the blackout - four days before new President Mikhail Saakashvili's inauguration - highlights the desperate situation in the country.

Georgia has faced chronic power shortages compounded by long-term underinvestment following the 1991 Soviet collapse.

Shut down

Tuesday's blackout was blamed on an emergency shut down at the Inguri plant's fifth hydropower unit, according to Russia's Tass news agency.

Russian energy giant Unified Energy System said engineers worked quickly to restore power to major facilities such as the underground and the television tower.

Power was slowly being returned to other parts of the country.

The BBC's Steven Eke says the power cut highlights the challenges facing Mr Saakashvili as he formally takes on the presidency.

The new leader is also facing ominous noises from two of Georgia's separatist regions, says our correspondent.

The defence minister in Abkhazia - already nearly a state within a state - says the region will never again be part of Georgia.

In Ajaria, there are allegations that Mr Saakashvili's supporters may be targeted for "political assassinations".