Chile declares emergency as massive power outage plunges nation into darkness
By bellecarter // 2025-03-02
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  • On Feb. 25, a catastrophic power outage affected 19 million people across Chile, from the northern Arica and Parinacota regions to the southern Los Lagos region, leaving about 98.5 percent of the population without electricity.
  • Interior Minister Carolina Toha declared the situation an emergency and called for a meeting of the National Disaster Risk Management Committees. President Gabriel Boric blamed private firms for the failure and emphasized the state's responsibility to hold them accountable.
  • The blackout caused the Santiago metro to shut down, traffic lights to fail and led to accidents. Santiago's international airport operated on emergency power and major copper mines experienced disruptions, affecting the global metal market.
  • The outage disrupted the Vina del Mar international music festival, forced businesses to close early and led to the cancellation of performances. The government implemented a curfew and deployed armed forces to maintain order.
  • By early Wednesday, power was restored to 90 percent of the country's electrical demand, and 4,500 diesel-fueled buses were readied for Santiago. The incident highlighted the vulnerabilities in Chile's power grid and the need for improved contingency plans and infrastructure upgrades.
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, a catastrophic power outage left 19 million people across Chile in the dark, affecting a vast swath of the country from the northern Arica and Parinacota regions to the southern Los Lagos region. The outage, which began at 3:15 p.m. local time, was caused by a disconnection in the transmission system in the Norte Chico region, according to Chile's national power grid agency. Interior Minister Carolina Toha declared the situation an emergency and called for an immediate meeting of the National Disaster Risk Management Committees to address the crisis. The scale of the blackout was unprecedented, with about 98.5 percent of the population losing power. At least 582,430 people were without electricity in the Santiago metropolitan region, while 328,488 customers in Los Lagos and 161,843 residents in Los Ríos also found themselves in the dark. By 5:00 pm, some cities reported the return of electricity, but the widespread disruption had already caused significant chaos. The outage had immediate and severe impacts on the country's infrastructure. Santiago's metro system, which serves millions of passengers daily, was shut down by 3:20 p.m. The lack of power caused traffic lights to stop working, leading to gridlock and accidents on the roads. One incident saw a mini van and a car collide, leaving four people injured. The city's residents scrambled for alternatives, with buses quickly reaching capacity and reports of taxi and Uber drivers hiking their prices in response to the emergency. Chilean President Gabriel Boric, addressing the nation in a late-night television broadcast, blamed private firms for the system's failure. "What happened today is outrageous because it's not tolerable that one or several companies impact the everyday life of millions of Chileans, and that's why it's the state's duty to hold them responsible," Boric said. The government implemented a curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday (01:00 to 09:00 GMT) from Arica in the north to Los Lagos in the south and deployed armed forces to maintain order. The power outage also had significant economic ramifications. The world's largest copper mine, Escondida, was without electricity, causing disruptions in the global metal market. Antofagasta, another major copper mining group, reported that it was operating its mines with backup power generators. Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, the nation's largest, continued to operate on emergency power and Latam Airlines advised passengers to check their flight statuses online due to potential delays. The disruption extended to entertainment and cultural events. The Vina del Mar international music festival, featuring Colombian stars like Sebastian Yatra and Morat, had to cancel performances. Visitors and residents alike faced confusion and transportation challenges as businesses and shops closed early.

Response and recovery efforts

Ernesto Huber, the executive director of Chile's National Electricity Coordinator, reported that the agency had activated hydroelectric stations and other power sources to meet demand. By early Wednesday, power was restored to 90 percent of the country's electrical demand. Transportation Minister Juan Carlos Munoz announced that 4,500 diesel-fueled buses would be on the road in Santiago if electricity had not been fully restored by Wednesday morning. Rescues were carried out across the city. Chilevision showed footage of people trapped on a roller coaster at Fantasilandia, an amusement park in Santiago, being safely evacuated. An AFP photographer captured firefighters rescuing an elderly woman trapped in an elevator. Hospitals and prisons operated on emergency generators throughout the night. Chile's power grid is considered one of the most reliable in South America, and the last major blackout occurred about 15 years ago. In 2010, damage to a power plant in southern Chile caused a significant outage just a month after a devastating 8.8-magnitude earthquake left over 500 people dead and severely impacted the national power infrastructure. The recent outage highlights the vulnerabilities in the system and the need for robust contingency plans and infrastructure upgrades to prevent future disruptions. Toha declared the end of the emergency on Wednesday morning, stating, "Today we should have a normal day." Chileans returned to a sense of normalcy as the curfew expired and most services resumed operations. The event serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of a stable and resilient power grid in modern society and the potential for widespread disruption when such systems fail. (Related: Thom Rigsby on Decentralize TV: Why personal and community preparedness is NECESSARY in the modern world.) Head over to EnergySupply.news for similar stories. Watch the video below where Thom Rigsby talks about local preparedness networking during times of disaster. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Power outage preparedness: Staying safe and comfortable during a blackout. Thom Rigsby on Decentralize TV: The power of LOCAL NETWORKS in times of crisis. 90% of Puerto Rico plunged into darkness on New Year's Eve.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk AlJazeera.com France24.com Brighteon.com
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