Nationwide Blackout Affects Millions in Chile

Millions of Chileans are grappling with a widespread power outage that commenced earlier today, affecting both the capital city of Santiago and many other regions from north to south.

In a recent electricity failure, more than half of Chile is without power, leading to significant disruptions and challenges for citizens. The national disaster response agency, SENAPRED, reported that the outage covers several areas, including the northern regions of Arica and Parinacota, all the way to Los Lagos in the south.

The power cut, which began earlier on Tuesday, has halted operations in key sectors. Reports indicate that the world's largest copper mine, Escondida, is facing an electricity shutdown, prompting concerns from industry stakeholders. LATAM Airlines informed passengers that flight operations may be impacted during this dark period and advised them to check the status of their travels before heading to the airport.

Public transportation has been heavily affected, with the Santiago Metro halting its service due to the blackout. Footage emerging from the city shows passengers exiting packed metro stations as they navigate escalators that have ceased functioning and buses overwhelmed by long lines of commuters seeking alternative travel.

Local resident Maria Angelica Roman expressed her frustration, 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."

In response to the crisis, Chile's Interior Minister Carolina Toha announced the convening of a meeting to strategize the restoration of electricity services. Meanwhile, SENAPRED reassured the population that electricity companies are actively investigating the outage's cause and working to restore power, confirming that no significant emergencies have been reported thus far.