Chilean Blackout: A Nation in Darkness

A massive blackout in Chile disrupted daily life, halted mines, and plunged citizens into chaos. The government declared a state of emergency with an overnight curfew. The power outage was traced to a high-voltage transmission line fault, affecting most regions and causing widespread challenges across the country.

A sweeping blackout on Tuesday night left most of Chile without power, disrupting daily life and halting business operations. The Chilean government declared a state of emergency and imposed a mandatory nighttime curfew until 6 a.m. Wednesday. Internet and mobile services were compromised, and the nation's copper mines suspended operations due to the outage.

Interior Minister Carolina Tohá, addressing the nation, elaborated on the government's focus on public safety amid the confusion regarding the cause of the blackout. By 10 p.m., approximately 7 million people were without electricity in 14 affected regions, highlighting the severity of the power disruption from the Atacama Desert to the southern Los Lagos region.

The National Electrical Coordinator identified a malfunction in a high-voltage transmission line as the catalyst for the blackout. Nationwide, traffic signals failed, economic activity stalled, and social events were postponed. Authorities worked diligently to restore order and ensure public safety, using emergency generators to maintain essential services in critical facilities like hospitals and government buildings.

(With inputs from agencies.)