A significant blackout in Chile left millions without power and caused transportation disruptions, leading President Gabriel Boric to declare a state of emergency and implement a curfew. Most power was restored within hours, with authorities attributing the outage to systemic failure rather than sabotage. The incident prompted discussions on accountability among grid operators and highlighted the impact on daily life across the nation.
Chilean authorities announced the restoration of power to most homes on Wednesday following a significant blackout that disrupted the capital and prompted President Gabriel Boric to declare a state of emergency and curfew nationwide. The blackout, described as the worst in over a decade, occurred on Tuesday afternoon, leaving millions in darkness.
President Boric attributed the systemic failure to the private companies overseeing the power grid, stating, “This is outrageous! The daily life of millions cannot be impacted like this by companies that fail to fulfill their responsibilities.” As of early Wednesday, approximately 90 percent of electricity consumption had been restored, according to the power system’s operator.
The outage affected a vast area from Arica in the north to Los Lagos in the south, encompassing over 90 percent of Chile’s population of 20 million. Transport in Santiago faced significant challenges, with the metro service disrupted and thousands evacuated. Additionally, President Boric enforced a curfew until 6 am Wednesday in response to the chaos.
Interior Minister Carolina Toha indicated that sabotage was not a factor, suggesting instead that a system operation failure caused the blackout. The metro, which serves 2.3 million riders daily, deployed personnel for safe evacuations, while malfunctioning traffic lights led to severe congestion.
Reports indicated that some individuals had to walk for hours under the sun to reach their homes, as public transportation struggled to accommodate the demand. Hospitals and prisons relied on emergency generators to maintain their operations during the outage, with notable incidents reported of people trapped in elevators and amusement park rides in Santiago.
Historically, Chile has maintained a robust power network, experiencing its last comparable blackout approximately 15 years ago, following a devastating earthquake in 2010 that had a lasting impact on the national grid.
In summary, the recent blackout in Chile resulted in widespread power loss affecting millions, leading to significant transport disruptions and a state of emergency declared by the President. Although the power has largely been restored, the incident highlights vulnerabilities in the management of the electricity grid and raises questions regarding accountability among private companies responsible for the infrastructure. The government’s swift response aimed to mitigate the chaos and ensure public safety during this crisis.
Original Source: www.thestandard.com.hk
