New Delhi

Power shortages in China have halted production at numerous factories including several suppliers Tesla and Apple while some shops in northeast China operated by candlelight.

Rationing has been implemented during peak hours in many parts of China since last week, and residents of cities said cuts were occurring sooner and lasting for longer, state media reported.

China's power crunch, caused by tight coal supplies and toughening emissions standards, has hurt production in industries across several regions and is dragging on the country's economic growth outlook, analysts said.

Apple's supplier Unimicron Technology Corp said Sunday that its three manufacturing plants in Kunshan, East China's Jiangsu Province, were suspended from 12 p.m. on Sunday until 12 a.m. on Thursday, following power curbs announced by local authorities. The company said it will move the affected output to other plants in order to meet delivery dates.

However, the company believes that the 4.5-day suspension will not have a large impact on its overall production, said the announcement.