Chile Enforces Curfew Amid Nationwide Power Outage Emergency

The Chilean government has declared a state of emergency and enforced a curfew following a massive power outage that affected millions, with the situation remaining unstable.

In response to a sweeping blackout that impacted most of Chile, including its capital Santiago, the government has enacted a curfew and declared a state of emergency. The blackout, which began in the afternoon on Tuesday, affected approximately eight million households nationwide, extending from the northern port city of Arica to Los Lagos in the south, as reported by officials.

The power failure led to significant disruptions in urban areas, knocking out traffic signals, trapping individuals in elevators, and ceasing operations of the subway system. In light of the severe circumstances, the authorities announced a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in regions impacted by the outage, with over 300,000 students affected by school closures on Wednesday.

President Gabriel Boric expressed empathy for the difficulties faced by citizens, stating, "Today has been a difficult day for millions of countrymen," during a press conference on Tuesday night. By late Tuesday, power had been restored to an estimated four million households; however, Boric cautioned about the slow and precarious nature of the recovery process.

The president attributed the blackout to failures on the part of the country’s power companies, condemning their lack of prompt restoration efforts and calling it "outrageous." The outage was reportedly triggered by a malfunction in the transmission system, officials noted.

To maintain order and safety amid the crisis, soldiers and national police officers have been deployed to the affected areas, with further measures taken to ensure emergency services, hospitals, prisons, and airports can continue to operate using backup electricity systems and generators, according to the national disaster agency.