Chile’s president has declared a state of emergency after an electricity blackout plunged most of the country into darkness on Tuesday, including the capital Santiago.
The outage – in the middle of Chile’s summer, when temperatures in Santiago are around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) – has affected some 8 million homes, President Gabriel Boric said in an address to the nation on Tuesday evening.
The National Disaster Prevention and Response Service said 14 of the country’s 16 regions were impacted by the blackout, which began Tuesday afternoon.
Internet and mobile phone services were down across much of the nation and parts of Santiago’s transport network was suspended, stranding commuters, as officials scrambled to restore power.
The National Electrical Coordinator, Chile’s grid operator, said a high-voltage backbone transmission line, that carries power from the Atacama Desert of northern Chile to Santiago in the country’s central valley, had been disrupted, leading to the blackout. It did not say what caused the disruption, but said it is investigating.
The president said the state of emergency aimed to “guarantee the safety” of citizens as the outage may last into the night. Authorities also announced a curfew in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Boric blamed the debacle on the electricity companies, saying “it is not tolerable” that millions of people have been affected.
“We are not going to let this pass and we are going to act firmly against companies that have not risen to the occasion. For this reason, all the necessary investigations will be carried out,” he said.
As of Tuesday evening, about a quarter of the electrical demand had been restored to the grid, according to the National Electrical Coordinator, which said it hopes full power will be restored “within the early hours of the morning.”
Interior Minister Carolina Tohá urged the public to stay calm and said officials were racing to restore power and operations across the country of some 19 million people.
Tohá said hospitals, prisons and government buildings were switching to backup generators to keep essential services running and that the national gendarmerie force had been deployed on the streets, to maintain security and support the flow of traffic.
“Our first concern, and the reason for this announcement, is to ensure people’s safety,” she said. “Obviously, this was something no one planned for.”
Disruption across the country
Daily life across much of the country came to a standstill on Tuesday as the blackouts suspended transport and paralyzed businesses.
Metro services in Santiago, home to around 8 million people, were suspended until further notice and passengers were evacuated, Transport Minister Juan Carlos Muñoz said.
Videos shared on social media showed dozens of passengers disembarking from metro cars and being guided by workers in the dark to exit stations.
Santiago International Airport said in a post on X that flights are operating regularly thanks to emergency backup systems. Chile’s LATAM Airlines said some of its flights could be affected.
The outage knocked out internet connectivity across much of Chile, according to internet watchdog NetBlocks, which reported national connectivity at 25% of ordinary levels.
Officials also suspended a soccer match during the national Copa Chile tournament, saying it would be rescheduled shortly.
Health Minister Ximena Aguilera said its healthcare network is fully operational, running on generators that will provide hours of power.
In addition to Santiago, the blackout has also affected the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Araucanía, Valparaíso, O’Higgins, Maule, Biobío, Los Lagos, Los Ríos and Ñuble.
This story has been updated with additional information.