Chile Faces Major Nationwide Power Outage Affecting Millions

A significant power outage impacting millions across Chile has left numerous regions without electricity, leading to chaos in transport and daily life.

A major power outage has left millions of people across Chile without electricity, as reports indicate broad impacts nationwide. The disaster response agency, SENAPRED, stated that most of the country is currently experiencing power disruptions, with areas ranging from Arica and Parinacota in the north to Los Lagos in the south being affected.

The outage began earlier on Tuesday, with officials actively assessing the situation. Notably, the Escondida mine, renowned as the world's largest copper mine, has also reported that it is without power, according to sources familiar with the situation. The Santiago Metro has temporarily suspended its services due to the outage, with evacuations taking place at various stations, as footage shows passengers navigating darkened stairwells and escalators.

Traffic in the capital city has also been severely impacted, with non-functioning traffic signals leading to disarray on the roads. Buses that continue to operate are facing extensive delays and overcrowding, leaving commuters stranded. One worker, Maria Angelica Roman, expressed her concerns, stating, "They let us leave work because of the power cut, but now I don't know how we will get home because all the buses are full."

Interior Minister Carolina Toha announced on social media that a meeting will convene to devise strategies aimed at restoring power and mitigating the situation. In the meantime, electricity providers in affected regions are conducting investigations to determine the cause of the outage and working to restore services as swiftly as possible.