- Authorities restored electricity to 90% of Chilean households after a massive blackout affected over 95% of the population.
- The outage halted public transport, closed shops, and left many stranded across the country, especially in Santiago.
- President Boric called the situation “scandalous” and criticised private energy companies for failing to maintain the grid. Authorities continue working to restore full power.
Authorities restored power to 90% of Chilean households after a massive blackout on Tuesday, February 25, left 95% of the country without electricity. The outage, one of the worst in Chile’s history, began at 15:16 local time (18:16 GMT) and affected over 20 million people.
By midnight on Wednesday, February 26, the national grid operator confirmed that crews restored 90% of electricity, though some areas still lack power. The government declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew across Santiago and other regions.
The blackout caused widespread disruption. Public transport, especially Santiago’s metro, faced significant issues. Metro staff evacuated thousands of passengers, halting the entire system. Over 2.3 million daily commuters struggled to find alternatives. “I don’t know how to get home; all the buses are full,” said Maria Angélica Roman, a 45-year-old office worker.
Shops in cities like Valparaiso closed early, while many people stuck in elevators. Authorities ruled out sabotage quickly. “There is no reason to believe this was an attack,” said Interior Minister Carolina Toha. They identified a technical failure in the grid as the cause.
Hospitals and prisons switched to backup generators to maintain operations. After ensuring the situation improved, the government lifted the curfew by 06:00 (09:00 GMT) on Wednesday, Feb 26.
President Gabriel Boric expressed frustration over the blackout’s scale. “It is scandalous that millions of Chileans face this level of disruption,” he said. Boric criticised private energy companies for failing to maintain the power grid properly. He labelled the situation “unacceptable.”
Efforts to restore the remaining power continue. Officials expect to bring electricity back to the rest of the affected areas soon. Santiago and nearby regions still experience challenges, with tensions high among residents.
This blackout marks a more significant failure than the 2010 incident, which stemmed from a malfunction at a Biobio region power plant. This time, the outage impacted the entire nation.
Chileans now question how the country allowed such a large-scale failure to occur. The government promises to investigate the causes thoroughly and hold those responsible accountable. Private energy companies face growing criticism for their part in the crisis.
As authorities continue working to fix the issue, Chileans worry about the vulnerability of their power grid. This incident has emphasised the need for infrastructure improvements to prevent future breakdowns.
Government officials closely monitor the situation and prioritise the complete restoration of power. Although they expect full services soon, the blackout has negatively impacted the country.
Chile’s power grid failure shook the nation, raising concerns over the reliability of its energy systems and sparking calls for reform to prevent a repeat of this crisis.