Chaos as Ecuador experiences nationwide power outage

Ecuador has experienced a nationwide power outage, plunging the country of 18 million people into total darkness and causing widespread chaos.

Ecuador has experienced a nationwide power outage, plunging the country of 18 million people into darkness.

The blackout disrupted daily life and public transportation as officials scrambled to address the problem.

Power has started returning gradually, at least in the capital Quito, about an hour later, AFP reports.

Public Works Minister Roberto Luque, who is also the acting energy minister, explained the situation on social media platform X.

“There is a failure in the transmission line that caused a cascade disconnection, so there’s no electricity at a national scale,” Luque stated.

The outage caused significant chaos in Quito.

Mayor Pabel Munoz said on X: “The incident must have been major because it even knocked out power to the metro, which has its own separate system.”

He had ordered the deployment of special teams to help anyone who may be trapped, prevent accidents and “take care of public spaces.”

Social media videos showed commuters navigating darkened streets and stalled subway trains, forced to walk through tunnels on foot.

Nationwide power outage in Ecuador affecting 18 million people, including the capital city, Quito. Picture: X

Chaos ensued with disrupted public transportation, darkened streets, stalled subway trains, and theme park visitors left stranded on rides. Picture: X

Traffic lights were out of order, exacerbating the confusion and gridlock.

An AFP correspondent observed traffic chaos also hit the big Pacific port city of Guayaquil, where people became stranded in elevators in office and residential buildings.

In Guayaquil, Ecuador’s port city, theme park visitors were left stranded on rides as they abruptly stopped functioning due to the outage.

Trams in the southern city of Cuenca also stopped running.

It was also reported that people became stranded in elevators of office and residential buildings across the country.

People leave the Recreo metro station after a blackout in Quito June 19, 2024. Ecuador blacked out on June 19, due to failures in the supply network, according to Deputy Energy Minister Roberto Luque, affecting strategic services such as telecommunications and the Quito metro. (Photo by Galo Paguay / AFP)

The Quito Metro addressed the issue on X, saying, “Due to a general failure of the national interconnected electrical energy system, the operation of the Quito Metro is interrupted while the systems are restarted and verified.”

This incident comes amid a broader energy crisis in Ecuador with the widespread impact highlighting the vulnerability of the nation’s energy infrastructure.

Ecuador relies on hydro-electric plants for 92 per cent of its electricity.

Impact highlighted vulnerability of the nation’s infrastructure, including interruption of operations at the Quito Metro and private OCP oil pipeline due to a landslide. Picture: Galo Paguay / AFP

In April, President Daniel Noboa declared an energy emergency, foreshadowing the potential for power cuts.

Due to a persistent drought, the country has faced challenges with hydro-electric power generation.

Ecuador suffered rolling blackouts in April as a major drought left key hydro-electric reservoirs nearly depleted and Colombia halted the exportation of electricity to its neighbour amid its own dry spell.

Ecuadorians had to contend with planned cuts of up to 13 hours at a time.

The situation returned to normal when the rainy season arrived and the country suspended electricity rationing in May.

Over the past weekend, heavy rains exacerbated the situation, forcing authorities to shut down three hydro-electric plants and triggering a landslide that claimed at least 17 lives and injured 19 others.

The landslide also suspended operations at Ecuador’s private OCP oil pipeline, which declared force majeure in response to the natural disaster.

More to come …

-With AFP