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February 26, 2025 | 07:52 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, after a massive power outage that impacted 19 million people. In his address to the nation, Boric stated that the power outage affected eight million homes. He urged private companies to take responsibility for the disastrous incident.
"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 was quoted as saying by Anadolu Agency.
Boric emphasized that the state of emergency was necessary to ensure the safety of citizens, given the possibility of prolonged power outages. The Chilean government also announced a curfew from 10 p.m. on Tuesday to 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
Through social media, Ernesto Huber, the executive director of the National Electricity Coordinator, confirmed that the source of the power outage was a fault in the power grid in Norte Chico. He mentioned that efforts were underway to restore power.
"The disconnection of the 500 kV double circuit in the Norte Chico area, specifically between the Vallenar and Coquimbo power stations, caused a disturbance in the national electrical system, from Arica to the Los Lagos region, resulting in the complete loss of power in the national electrical system," he said.
The power outage occurred amid a heatwave in Chile, and in small towns like Lo Barnechea, Talagate, and La Florida, authorities promptly provided drinking water supplies.
After the power went out, underground train services were promptly evacuated. Traffic lights went out, causing traffic jams in the country's largest cities, while electric bus fleets were deployed to assist inner-city mobility.
On Wednesday morning, power grid and major copper mines came back online slowly, with power firms working to restore the system to full operation, authorities said, as quoted from Reuters.
The National Electricity Coordinator said 90 percent of residential consumption had been restored. Meanwhile, curfew had been lifted and only about 220,000 users were still without power.
ANADOLU | REUTERS
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