Power outage in Chile leaves millions without electricity as officials scramble for answers

Millions of Chileans lost power Tuesday, including those in the capital of Santiago, the government said.

The blackout affected the northern Arica and Parinacota regions to the southern Los Lagos region, according to an X post by the undersecretary of the interior.

A “disruption in the supply of electricity” had provoked a “massive power outage” across more than a dozen regions in the country, Chile’s national disaster response service said. 

A woman walks through a shopping mall during a power outage in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday. The country experienced a widespread power outage.  (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)

The Transportation Ministry urged motorists to drive with caution since traffic lights were not working, adding that instructions for passengers stuck on metro trains would be forthcoming. 

“The call is for calm and to avoid transfers to avoid traffic jams,” the ministry said on X. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.