A massive blackout leaves Chile without electricity

Much of Chile is without electricity, from Arica in the far north to the Los Lagos region in the south. The power went out at 3:16 p.m. local time, including in Santiago, the capital, where half the population lives.

The Boric government , headed by Interior Minister Carolina Tohá and the undersecretary of that portfolio, Luis Cordero, has called an emergency meeting. “The call is for calm,” said Tohá, who ruled out that the widespread power cuts were the result of “an attack” and points to a fault that “has already been identified.” The National Electric Coordinator (CEN) has indicated this afternoon that the blackout was caused by a disconnection of the 500 kV transmission system in the Norte Chico.

In the affected regions, traffic lights are off, causing heavy traffic congestion. In light of this situation, Tohá reported that Carabineros, the uniformed police, have been deployed on the streets to try to manage the congestion. The Minister of Transport, Juan Carlos Muñoz, who was also summoned to the emergency committee, reported that the Metro lines in the Metropolitan Region have stopped working, so the bus system has been reinforced. Santiago airport, meanwhile, is operating normally.