A massive power outage left over 57,000 homes without electricity in Chile's Metropolitan Region on Monday night, with Providencia, Santiago, and Recoleta the most affected communes. The failure originated at the San Cristóbal Substation, owned by Saesa, impacting Enel Distribución's service. By 23:45, 67% of the supply had been restored, with full recovery estimated in 4 to 5 hours.
On Monday, December 15, 2025, around 22:00 hours, a massive power outage began affecting Chile's Metropolitan Region, leaving 57,442 customers without electricity according to the Superintendency of Security and Fuels (SEC). The most impacted communes were Providencia with 20,214 affected customers, Santiago with 19,079, and Recoleta with 13,292. Social media reports indicated disruptions in key areas like Plaza Italia, Forestal Park, and the Italia neighborhood.
Enel Distribución stated that the cause was a high-voltage failure at the San Cristóbal Substation, owned by distributor Saesa, located in Santiago commune. By 23:45, the company reported that 67% of the affected customers had their supply restored. "We are maintaining coordination with the transmission company to restore service to all our customers as soon as possible. The cause is still under investigation," Enel detailed in a statement.
The Presidential Delegation of the Metropolitan Region reported at 23:00 two specific failures at the substation: one in the cell and another in Transformer Number 1. To mitigate impacts, Enel activated an energy backup protocol for electricity-dependent individuals, while the Hospital del Trabajador was operating on emergency generators. Repairs are estimated to take an additional 4 to 5 hours for full service restoration.
This incident highlights vulnerabilities in the capital's electrical infrastructure amid growing urban energy demands. No injuries or major damages were reported, but the event caused significant inconvenience to thousands of homes overnight.
