Chile hit by massive blackout due to alleged energy system failure nationwide

In the midst of summer, Chile is experiencing an unusual and massive blackout due to an alleged failure of the energy system, which has forced the Santiago Metro to shut down and left the population in a state of bewilderment. According to the National Disaster Service, the power outage is widespread, affecting a significant part of the country. The communications team at Senapred informed the AFP that, based on initial reports, the blackout stretches from the Arica and Parinacota region in the north to the Los Lagos region in the south.

This blackout is particularly notable, as Chile has one of the best networks in the region and a population of around 20 million inhabitants. In fact, this is the country’s worst blackout in the last 15 years. The situation in Santiago is chaotic, with thousands of people being evacuated from the subway. The rest of the public transportation system seems to be on the verge of collapse. Maria Angélica Román, a 45-year-old worker at a collection office, expressed her concern, “They let us go out of work due to the power cut, but now I don’t know how to go home because all the micros (buses) are full.”

## Without attack indications
The government has quickly dismissed the possibility of an attack or sabotage against the energy supply network. Interior Minister Carolina Tohá stated at a press conference, “There is no reason to assume that behind this there is an attack. It would be a failure of the operation of the system.” According to Tohá, the hospital system and the country’s prisons are operating with emergency generators, and the electrical system is expected to be normalized in the next few hours.

The Santiago Metro confirmed that it evacuated trains due to the power outage, which affects around 2.3 million users daily. In a statement released on its social networks, the company said, “Our teams are deployed in all stations to support the evacuation safely. Once this process is completed, the stations will remain closed until energy is restored.”

## Chaos
The confusion is not limited to the capital, but extends to several parts of the country. In Valparaíso, a city 120 km from Santiago, witnesses reported that shops have closed. Anadriel Hernández, a 20-year-old student, described the situation, “There are carabineros managing traffic because there is a lot of congestion in streets that are usually not busy. All commercial premises are closing.” Meanwhile, a video shared on social media shows people stranded in a mechanical attraction at the Fantasilandia fun park. As the situation continues to unfold, the country waits for the electrical system to be restored and for normalcy to return.