Widespread power cut leaves White House in dark

Widespread power outages on Tuesday swept Washington D.C. area, causing blackouts at White House, State Department, Capitol and other government buildings.

"Shortly before 1 p.m., we experienced a dip in voltage in the Washington D.C. area," said Pepco, an electricity facility covering the Washington D.C. area. "This was caused by an issue with a transmission line."

According to Pepco's outrage map, by 2 p.m. some 2,500 customers were affected by the power outrage, including buildings and office spaces, Xinhua reported.

The White House, the US State Department building, US Congress, Justice Department and other federal buildings were among the affected.

According to US media reports, US Homeland Security officials believed the outrage was caused by an explosion at a power facility in Maryland, though possibility of any terrorist or criminal activity was ruled out.