Chile hit by widespread power outage

Commuters walk on the street due to the lack of electric buses during a massive power outage in Santiago, capital of Chile, Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Jorge Villegas/Xinhua)

SANTIAGO, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- A massive power outage affected most of Chile on Tuesday, disrupting service from the northern city of Arica to the southern Los Lagos region, officials said.

The National Electrical Coordinator reported that the blackout began at 3:16 p.m. local time due to a failure in the country's power transmission system. The disruption impacted 14 of Chile's 16 regions, spanning more than 3,100 kilometers.

Authorities attributed the outage to a disconnection in the 500-kilovolt transmission system in the Norte Chico region. The cause remains unknown and is under investigation.

Emergency response agencies convened to monitor the situation, while the government assured the public that critical services have backup power and are functioning normally.

Interior Minister Carolina Toha ruled out foul play, calling it a "system failure" and urging calm. "The service should be restored soon," she said.

The National Disaster Prevention and Response Service reported that Santiago's metro system was temporarily out of service as authorities assessed the broader impact. ■

A person is seen in a shopping mall during a massive power outage in Santiago, capital of Chile, Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Jorge Villegas/Xinhua)

A hairdresser arranges his work tools during a massive power outage in Santiago, capital of Chile, Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Jorge Villegas/Xinhua)

Workers close a liquor store during a massive power outage in Santiago, capital of Chile, Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Jorge Villegas/Xinhua)