In the states of Northern India, electricity was cut and there were new outages due to a shortage of coal. Analysis of government data and interviews with residents showed that this contradicted government assurances that electricity was sufficient.

The shortage in India - the world's largest consumer of coal after China - followed massive blackouts in neighboring China, which closed factories and schools to cope with the crisis.

More than half of India's 135 coal-fired power plants, which together generate about 70% of India's electricity, have fuel reserves of less than three days, according to the federal grid operator.

India's Ministry of Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Wednesday, the Indian Express newspaper quoted Energy Minister R.K. Singha: "Nowhere would we be able to provide the required amount of electricity."

Reuters analysis of daily load sharing data from federal grid regulator POSOCO found that India's power shortages in the first seven days of October accounted for 11.2% of the country's total power shortages for the year.