Chile’s President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of emergency after a widespread power outage affected most of the country, including the capital Santiago. The blackout, which began on Tuesday afternoon, plunged around 8 million homes into darkness and caused significant disruptions to daily life.
The National Disaster Prevention and Response Service reported that 14 out of 16 regions were impacted by the blackout, with internet and mobile phone services also affected across much of the nation. Parts of Santiago’s transport network were suspended, stranding commuters.
By Wednesday morning, 90% of homes and businesses had their electricity restored, according to the Chilean National Electric Coordinator. However, around 220,000 customers remain without power. The government has announced a curfew in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday to ensure public safety.
President Boric blamed the outage on the electricity companies, saying it was “not tolerable” that millions of people were affected. He pledged to take action against companies that failed to respond adequately.
The government has deployed the national gendarmerie force to maintain security and support traffic flow. Hospitals, prisons, and government buildings are switching to backup generators to keep essential services running.
The outage has had a significant impact on daily life across Chile, with transport suspended, businesses paralyzed, and soccer matches cancelled. However, health services remain operational, running on generators.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/25/americas/chile-blackout-14-regions-intl-latam/index.html