Nationwide Power Outage Affects Millions in Chile

Millions of Chileans are left without electricity after a nationwide power outage impacted major regions including Santiago, disrupting services and creating chaos in transportation systems.

Chile is experiencing a massive power outage that has left millions in the dark, affecting key regions from Arica in the north to Los Lagos in the south. The outage, which began earlier this Tuesday, has been confirmed by the national disaster prevention and response service (SENAPRED), though its exact extent is still being assessed.

In the capital city of Santiago, the situation is critical as public transportation, including the metro service, has been halted. The Santiago Metro announced on social media that operations have ceased and passengers are being evacuated from stations. Footage shared online reveals commuters navigating darkened platforms and escalators, while traffic signals remain inoperative, leading to chaos on the roads.

Public transport systems face overwhelming demand, as people scramble to find alternative means of getting home. Maria Angelica Roman, a 45-year-old worker, expressed her frustration to AFP, noting the challenging situation with buses already full due to the crisis.

Chile's interior minister, Carolina Toha, took to social media to assure citizens that authorities are prioritizing discussions on restoring electricity, emphasizing a strategic meeting to address the ongoing issues. SENAPRED confirmed that local electricity providers are actively investigating the cause of the outage and working to restore power as quickly as possible.