Chile Restores Power After Major Blackout, Investigates Energy Companies

Chile has restored electricity to most of its population after a major blackout impacted 98% of residents, with 220,000 still without power. Investigations are underway into the cause of the disruption, as well as the deaths of three people reliant on medical devices. The government is reviewing the role of energy companies in this outage, while public services have resumed and a state of emergency has been lifted.

Power restoration has been achieved for the majority of Chile’s 19 million citizens following the country’s most severe blackout in 15 years. The government announced that electricity has mostly returned to the 14 regions affected by the outage, although 220,000 individuals still remain without power, according to Chilean Interior Minister Carolina Tohá.

The blackout initially stemmed from a fault in a key transmission line in northern Chile, which triggered a cascade of power plant and transmission failures nationwide. Investigations into the exact cause of the outage are ongoing, as authorities seek answers regarding this significant disruption to daily life.

Minister Tohá also announced that an inquiry would be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three individuals who were reliant on electricity-dependent medical devices during the blackout. As services such as trains and the subway resumed in the capital, Santiago, the state of emergency was not extended, ending the curfew imposed during the outage.

Many residents, particularly in areas like Maipú, awaited the restoration of power and drinking water, while traffic issues persisted due to non-functioning traffic lights. Additional security forces were deployed to maintain order on the streets amid concerns about traffic chaos.

This incident marked the most significant blackout since the 2010 crisis following a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Chile’s leftist President Gabriel Boric criticized energy transmission companies, specifically pointing to ISA InterChile for the faulty transmission line and emphasized that it is the state’s responsibility to hold these companies accountable for the disruption of millions of citizens’ lives.

Critics have urged greater state involvement in electric infrastructure planning, highlighting concerns over the privatization of essential services since the military dictatorship era from 1973 to 1990.

In summary, Chile has largely restored power following a significant blackout that impacted millions, with ongoing investigations into its cause and related fatalities. Authorities are addressing public concerns regarding energy companies’ accountability while resuming essential services. The government is urged to take a more proactive role in managing electrical infrastructure after decades of privatization.

Original Source: www.theguardian.com