Santiago: A massive power outage swept across Chile on Tuesday, plunging the capital, Santiago, into darkness and disrupting operations at key copper mines in the north, sending ripples through global metal markets.
As night fell and the blackout persisted, the Chilean government declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (0100 to 0900 GMT), spanning from the northern region of Arica to the southern region of Los Lagos.
Interior Minister Carolina Tohá attributed the widespread blackout to a transmission line failure in the north, dismissing concerns of a cyberattack. The outage, one of the largest in recent years, left Santiago’s streets without illumination as emergency sirens echoed across the city. The Santiago Metro, a vital transportation system for millions, was forced to close, stranding commuters.
“There’s nothing. There’s no cash. No money. Nothing,” said José Luis Orlandini, who was dining in downtown Santiago when the outage struck.
To maintain order, the interior ministry deployed the armed forces nationwide. By 10 p.m., approximately a quarter of the electrical grid had been restored, with full recovery expected by morning, according to Juan Carlos Olmedo, president of Chile’s National Electricity Coordinator (CEN).
In a late-night national address, Chilean President Gabriel Boric revealed that 8 million homes had been affected, but power had been restored to nearly half of them.
“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 stated.
As power gradually returned, residents in Santiago’s Providencia neighborhood cheered as their lights flickered back on.
CEN reported that an investigation was underway to determine the exact cause of the failure. “We’ve activated several power stations, mainly hydroelectric stations,” said CEN Executive Director Ernesto Huber.
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Copper Mines Impacted
The blackout affected regions from the mining-rich north to the densely populated central and southern areas, significantly disrupting Chile’s copper industry. As the world’s leading copper producer, Chile’s supply chain faced major setbacks.
Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine, was left without power, a source close to the matter told Reuters. State-owned miner Codelco confirmed that all of its operations were impacted, with major sites like Chuquicamata, Andina, Salvador, and El Teniente suffering outages. Other Codelco mines resorted to backup power to maintain partial operations.
Mining companies Antofagasta (ANTO.L) and Anglo American (AAL.L) reported that their operations continued using emergency generators.
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Chile’s National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (SENAPRED) confirmed that the blackout stretched from the northern Arica and Parinacota region to the southern Los Lagos region. However, no major emergencies were reported.
The country’s Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) stated that Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport remained operational, though LATAM Airlines (LTM.SN) warned of potential flight disruptions due to the outage.
