Chile experienced a significant power outage on Tuesday, prompting President Gabriel Boric to declare a state of emergency. Most power was restored by Wednesday morning, with statements blaming grid management companies for the failure. The blackout affected millions, disrupting public transport and daily life across a large area.
Chilean authorities announced that power was restored to most households on Wednesday, just hours after an extensive blackout caused widespread transport disruptions in the capital. This event prompted President Gabriel Boric to declare a state of emergency and enforce a curfew in several regions of the country. The blackout occurred on Tuesday afternoon, leaving millions without electricity, marking it as the most significant outage in over a decade.
President Boric held private grid management companies accountable for the failure, expressing outrage at the disruption, stating, “This is outrageous! The daily life of millions of Chileans can’t be impacted like this by companies that don’t do their job.” Early on Wednesday, electricity consumption had returned to 90 percent, as reported by the power system operator.
The outage impacted a vast area from Arica in the north to Los Lagos in the south, affecting over 90 percent of Chile’s 20 million residents. In Santiago, the capital, transport was severely disrupted, leading to evacuations of thousands from the metro while pedestrians struggled to secure space on overcrowded buses. Consequently, shops and offices closed early as a precaution.
Interior Minister Carolina Toha dismissed the possibility of sabotage, suggesting instead that the incident stemmed from operational failures within the system. The metro company confirmed that staff were deployed across stations to ensure safe evacuations amid the chaos. Additionally, traffic signals being out of service contributed to significant congestion, forcing many individuals to walk home under the sweltering heat.
Additionally, emergency generators were put into service to maintain operations in hospitals and prisons. President Boric conducted an aerial assessment of the situation over the capital to comprehend the full impact of the outage. Valparaiso also witnessed early closures of businesses and major traffic issues, highlighting the blackout’s extensive effects across the nation.
Despite Chile’s reputation for having a robust power network, this incident showcased vulnerabilities, as the nation had not experienced such a significant blackout in fifteen years. A similar incident in 2010, tied to damage sustained from a magnitude 8.8 earthquake, left hundreds of thousands in darkness for several hours, demonstrating the potential fragility of the country’s electrical infrastructure.
In summary, Chile faced its most severe blackout in over a decade, leading to widespread chaos and a state of emergency declared by President Gabriel Boric. The government acted quickly to restore power to the majority of homes and to manage the ensuing transport difficulties. While the grid system’s failure raised concerns about private sector responsibility, efforts to ensure the safety of citizens during the crisis were evident. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of a resilient infrastructure in preventing such disruptions in the future.
Original Source: www.thestandard.com.hk
