A sweeping power blackout leaves most of Chile in darkness

Chile faces nationwide blackout, emergency declared, curfew imposed, and essential services rely on backup generators for operation.

A sweeping blackout plunged most of Chile into darkness Tuesday (February 25, 2025), stranding commuters, knocking the internet offline and paralyzing businesses and daily life as officials scrambled to restore power.

The government declared a state of emergency alongside a mandatory nighttime curfew that will last until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Internet and mobile phone services blinkered offline. The world's largest copper producer suspended mining operations. People complained of water shortages as pumps running on electricity stopped working. Emergency generators helped hospitals and government offices continue operating.

Speaking after sundown, Interior Minister Carolina Tohá warned of a catastrophe even as the actual cause remained shrouded in confusion.

“Our first concern, and the reason for this announcement, is to ensure people's safety," she said, announcing that the government was sending security forces to the dark streets to control traffic and rein in chaos. “Obviously, this was something no one planned for.”

Around 10 p.m., more than five hours after the outage began, at least 7 million people still had no electricity, and none of the 14 affected regions had completely recovered power.

The National Electrical Coordinator, Chile's grid operator, said a disruption had occurred in a high-voltage backbone transmission line that carries power from the Atacama Desert of northern Chile to the capital of Santiago in the country's central valley.