Chile experienced one of the most severe power outages in the last decade on February 25, 2025, when an unexpected collapse of the electrical system in the afternoon hours led to a blackout in more than 90 percent of the country, including the capital, Santiago.
Millions of citizens were left without electricity for nearly nine hours, causing traffic chaos, disrupting emergency services, and leading to the temporary closure of the metro system and numerous stores.
The government quickly declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew. All major hospital centers and prisons had backup generators, preventing a complete collapse. However, Santiago’s metro system, which transports more than two million passengers daily, had to urgently evacuate people from trains and suspend operations, according to international media reports.
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In many parts of the country, people were trapped in elevators. In banks and other financial institutions, nearly all operations were halted, raising concerns about potential economic losses.
According to official reports, power was restored to approximately 90 percent of households in the early hours of Wednesday, February 26, while some areas remained without stable electricity supply.
As the country awaits an official report, many believe that this incident could lead to a reassessment of the current private management model of the energy sector and greater state investment in grid security.
Energy portal
