Chile Faces Nightmare Blackout as State of Emergency Declared

Santiago - In an unprecedented crisis, Chile was thrown into chaos on February 25, 2025, as a massive power outage swept across 14 of its 16 regions, impacting more than 90% of the population. This was the nation’s worst blackout in over a decade, bringing life to a standstill and forcing President Gabriel Boric to declare a state of emergency.  

The outage, which began at 3:16 PM local time, stemmed from a high-voltage transmission failure in the Norte Chico region, specifically between Vallenar and Coquimbo. Cities plunged into darkness, causing metro evacuations in Santiago and crippling traffic as signals failed. Desperation mounted as businesses shut down and hospitals scrambled for backup power.  

To prevent unrest, the government imposed a nationwide curfew from 10 PM to 6 AM. Meanwhile, Chile’s economic backbone—its copper mining industry—suffered severe blows. Major players like Codelco and BHP’s Escondida were forced to halt production, sending shockwaves through global markets.  

By early February 26, authorities restored power to most residential areas, but industries are only just beginning to recover. Officials ruled out sabotage, citing a system failure, but a full investigation is underway.