The scale of the power outage appeared to take authorities off guard. The government declared a state of emergency alongside a mandatory nighttime curfew that will last until 6 a.m. Wednesday, AP reported.
“Our first concern, and the reason for this announcement, is to ensure people’s safety,” Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said in announcing the exceptional measures. The ministry deployed thousands of soldiers across the country to help maintain order and enforce the curfew.
Mobile phone services blinkered offline. The world’s largest copper mine suspended operations. People complained of water shortages as pumps running on electricity stopped working. Emergency generators helped hospitals and government offices continue operating.
But the lights — and, on a hot summer night in the Southern Hemisphere, the air conditioning and fans that keep people cool — began to return in spurts seven hours after the electric failure first struck. Cheers rung out on the streets where lights flickered back on.
At around 11 p.m., power was restored to around half of the 8 million affected households, said President Gabriel Boric.
SD/
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