Chile hit by power outage

Chile is facing a massive power outage across the country on Tuesday that has led to the evacuation of the Santiago metro, authorities announced, amid widespread confusion among the population. According to the National Disaster Prevention Service (Senapred), the power outage began around 3:16 p.m. local time (6:16 p.m. GMT).

"According to initial reports, the blackout could extend from the Arica and Parinacota region (in the north) to the Lakes region (in the south)," Senapred's communications teams said. Chile, which has some 20 million inhabitants and one of the best power grids in the region, is facing its worst power outage in 15 years. Authorities have not yet determined the possible causes of this massive blackout.

In Santiago, hundreds of people had to be evacuated from the metro. Faced with the influx of passengers, the rest of the transport system seemed saturated. "They let us leave work because of the power outage, but now I don't know how to get home because all the buses are full," Maria Angélica Roman, a 45-year-old employee in a debt collection office in the capital, told AFP.

In 2010, a power plant in the Biobio region of southern Chile was seriously damaged, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.