Bhubaneswar, June 14 -- Thousands of residents from more than 10 villages staged a road blockade on National Highway 57 at Binodapoda in Ranapur in Odisha's Nayagarh district late on Saturday night, protesting against frequent and unannounced power outages in the area.

The protest reportedly took place despite government directions that the electricity supply should not be disrupted without prior information or announcement. The blockade led to major traffic disruption, with hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the highway.

Apart from blocking the national highway, the agitating residents also entered the local electricity office premises and staged a protest against the recurring power cuts.

The situation remained tense as a...