A major blackout affected 98% of Chile, impacting power to 19 million residents. The situation has since improved, but 220,000 remain without electricity. Investigations are ongoing into the cause, including scrutiny of the energy companies involved. Authorities have reported deaths related to medical device dependency during the blackout, raising further concerns for public safety and infrastructure planning.
Chile has resumed electricity across the majority of its regions following the most disruptive blackout in the last 15 years, affecting about 19 million people. The government announced that, while power has been restored to most of the 14 involved areas, approximately 220,000 residents remain without it. The blackout was initiated by a fault in a critical transmission line, leading to widespread shutdowns of power plants and transmission networks.
Chilean Interior Minister Carolina Toha confirmed an ongoing investigation regarding the cause of the blackout and the deaths of three individuals, reportedly reliant on electrical medical devices, during the outage. Authorities also reported over 200 arrests for curfew violations during the state of emergency that was lifted early on Wednesday.
As services, including trains and subways, recovered in the capital of Santiago, those in regions like Maipú remained without essential services such as power and drinking water. To mitigate traffic issues due to nonfunctioning traffic lights, additional security personnel were deployed to assist commuters.
Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, and other major mining firms resumed operations as power was restored. The blackout, reminiscent of the national power failure after the 2010 earthquake and tsunami, provoked criticism from President Gabriel Boric, who held energy companies accountable for the failures.
Experts cited the blackout as indicative of significant issues within Chile’s electricity generation that could reduce investor confidence. Risk management specialist Bernardo Castro expressed concern regarding the anticipated failure of such magnitude and the absence of preventative measures within the nation’s electric grid. Critics urged the state to take a proactive role in electricity infrastructure planning.
The recent blackout in Chile has spotlighted serious vulnerabilities within the nation’s electrical grid, prompting investigations into energy transmission companies. With approximately 220,000 residents still lacking power days later and security forces called in for traffic management, the repercussions of this failure may influence investor confidence and prompt a reevaluation of electric infrastructure management in the country.
Original Source: www.irishexaminer.com
