**A nationwide power outage in Chile has left millions in darkness, disrupting essential services and transport systems across the country. Authorities are working to identify the cause and restore electricity.**
**Chile Faces Nationwide Power Outage Affecting Millions**
**Chile Faces Nationwide Power Outage Affecting Millions**
**Massive blackout disrupts daily life and transport in Santiago and beyond.**
In Chile, millions of residents are grappling with a major power outage that has left large swathes of the country in darkness. The blackout, which began earlier on Tuesday, has been reported by the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (SENAPRED) to affect a vast area from the northern regions of Arica and Parinacota to Los Lagos in the south, including the capital, Santiago.
The magnitude of this outage remains unclear, but it has already impacted some of the country’s key infrastructure. Reports indicate that operations at the world’s largest copper mine, Escondida, have been disrupted due to the power loss. In an announcement on social media platform X, the Santiago Metro operator confirmed that all metro services have been suspended, leading to the evacuation of multiple stations.
Footage circulating from various parts of Santiago reveals the extent of the chaos; passengers were seen navigating the darkened metro stations by climbing up non-functional escalators. Meanwhile, traffic lights were out across the capital, causing significant backups and long queues for the buses that continued to operate, albeit at diminished capacity.
"I was let go from work because of the outage, but now I have no idea how I’ll make it home with all the buses packed," said Maria Angelica Roman, a local worker, in a statement to the AFP news agency.
In response to the crisis, Chile's Interior Minister, Carolina Toha, announced via X that an emergency meeting would be convened to address the situation and devise a plan to restore lost services. SENAPRED has stated that electricity companies in the affected regions are actively investigating the cause of the outage and working to restore power as soon as possible.
The magnitude of this outage remains unclear, but it has already impacted some of the country’s key infrastructure. Reports indicate that operations at the world’s largest copper mine, Escondida, have been disrupted due to the power loss. In an announcement on social media platform X, the Santiago Metro operator confirmed that all metro services have been suspended, leading to the evacuation of multiple stations.
Footage circulating from various parts of Santiago reveals the extent of the chaos; passengers were seen navigating the darkened metro stations by climbing up non-functional escalators. Meanwhile, traffic lights were out across the capital, causing significant backups and long queues for the buses that continued to operate, albeit at diminished capacity.
"I was let go from work because of the outage, but now I have no idea how I’ll make it home with all the buses packed," said Maria Angelica Roman, a local worker, in a statement to the AFP news agency.
In response to the crisis, Chile's Interior Minister, Carolina Toha, announced via X that an emergency meeting would be convened to address the situation and devise a plan to restore lost services. SENAPRED has stated that electricity companies in the affected regions are actively investigating the cause of the outage and working to restore power as soon as possible.
