Gmail goes down, Google tackles problem

PanARMENIAN.Net - Google says it is looking into why thousands of users have been unable to access their Gmail accounts, according to BBC News.

"We're aware that some users are experiencing an error when accessing their Gmail," a statement said. "We are working on a resolution and apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks for your patience."

Members of the web email service from the US, France, Canada, Spain and the UK were among those to post messages about the problem to Twitter.

"It's a scary experience to have Gmail suddenly displaying a temporary error with little explanation or estimate of return," wrote Kevin Broome, a Vancouver-based designer.

"I have three accounts with Gmail and for some reason only one of them isn't working," posted Loumarie Rodriguez, a Connecticut-based student.

Google first acknowledged the problem on its Google Apps service page at 1742 BST.

It later suggested that less than 2% of the service's user base had been affected and that by 1846 "the problem with Google Mail should have been resolved".

It added: "Please rest assured that system reliability is a top priority at Google, and we are making continuous improvements to make our systems better."

The firm declined to reveal how many people subscribed to the email service.