Massive Power Outage Disrupts Chile's Copper Mines and Capital City

A widespread power outage in Chile affected mining operations and left residents in Santiago without electricity. The outage disrupted major copper mines and the capital city, while transmission companies are investigating the cause. Authorities ruled out a cyber attack, promising power restoration in upcoming hours.

A significant power outage hit vast regions of Chile on Tuesday, impacting the major copper mining industry and causing widespread disruption in the capital, Santiago. According to government reports, the outage extended from the mining-rich northern areas to central and southern parts of the country.

The world's largest copper mine, Escondida, along with several Codelco mines, faced full or partial shutdowns. Backup generators kept some operations running partially. Despite the blackout, no emergency situations were reported, but Santiago's metro and some flight schedules were affected due to operational challenges.

The power cut was attributed to a transmission line failure in the north. Chile's interior minister dismissed cyber attack concerns, assuring that electricity restoration efforts are underway, with expectations of returning to normalcy in the coming hours.

(With inputs from agencies.)