Cities go dark around the world to mark Earth Hour

Major buildings and monuments from around the world marked Earth Hour on Saturday by turning off lights at 8:30 pm local time. Beginning in Sydney in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour has spread to more than 180 countries, with tens of millions of people taking part.

Hyderabad: Cities around the world marked Earth Hour on Saturday by turning off lights at 8:30 pm local time in a call for global action on climate change.

Many of the buildings and monuments from around the world participated in the event, from New York's Empire State Building to Hong Kong's major buildings along Victoria Harbour to Paris' Eiffel Tower and St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

The lights on the India Gate War Memorial in New Delhi were turned off to mark the Earth Hour. Lights were turned off at India Gate at 8:30 pm.

Lights of Europe's famous monument Eiffel Tower was dimmed for an hour. The tower's lights normally dominate the Paris skyline after dusk, but are dimmed for major world tragedies and events like Earth Hour.

Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil participated by turning off the statue's lights.

Taiwan's tallest building Taipei 101, also joined cities around the world to mark Earth Hour by turning off its lights in a call for global action on climate change.

Major buildings along the renowned Victoria Habour in Hong Kong turned off their non-essential lights at 8:30pm local time. Over 3,000 companies in Hong Kong took part in the Earth Hour initiative.

Beginning in Sydney in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour has spread to more than 180 countries, with tens of millions of people taking part.