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| Power Cut Hits Argentina and Uruguay, Affecting Tens of Millions | Power Cut Hits Argentina and Uruguay, Affecting Tens of Millions |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| BUENOS AIRES — A widespread power failure early Sunday left all of mainland Argentina and Uruguay without power, a blackout that an energy company official called “unprecedented.” | BUENOS AIRES — A widespread power failure early Sunday left all of mainland Argentina and Uruguay without power, a blackout that an energy company official called “unprecedented.” |
| The blackout’s cause remained unclear. But much of Argentina was hit by heavy rainfall this weekend, and Uruguay’s state-owned utility, UTE, said some systems were damaged by the recent rain and still needed to be repaired. | The blackout’s cause remained unclear. But much of Argentina was hit by heavy rainfall this weekend, and Uruguay’s state-owned utility, UTE, said some systems were damaged by the recent rain and still needed to be repaired. |
| The power failure was traced to two 500,000-volt lines in a corridor that takes power to Buenos Aires from the Yacyretá dam, which serves Argentina and Paraguay. But why it occurred was still being determined. | The power failure was traced to two 500,000-volt lines in a corridor that takes power to Buenos Aires from the Yacyretá dam, which serves Argentina and Paraguay. But why it occurred was still being determined. |
| The blackouts brought the transportation system in Buenos Aires to a halt as trains and subways stopped and traffic lights went dark. The water company AySA, based in Buenos Aires, asked customers to ration water because its distribution system had shut down. | The blackouts brought the transportation system in Buenos Aires to a halt as trains and subways stopped and traffic lights went dark. The water company AySA, based in Buenos Aires, asked customers to ration water because its distribution system had shut down. |
| Flights operated normally, said Carlos Armentano, a spokesman for Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, the company that runs most of the country’s airports. But Argentine ports came to a standstill for a few hours, said Guillermo Wade, the manager for the Port and Maritime Activities Chamber. | Flights operated normally, said Carlos Armentano, a spokesman for Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, the company that runs most of the country’s airports. But Argentine ports came to a standstill for a few hours, said Guillermo Wade, the manager for the Port and Maritime Activities Chamber. |
| Across the region, residents posted images on social media of their dark towns and cities. | Across the region, residents posted images on social media of their dark towns and cities. |
| “There is a complete blackout in Argentina,” said Alejandra Martínez, a spokeswoman for Edesur, an electricity company in Argentina which serves parts of Buenos Aires and its suburbs and has more than 2.5 million customers. She said this was unprecedented. | “There is a complete blackout in Argentina,” said Alejandra Martínez, a spokeswoman for Edesur, an electricity company in Argentina which serves parts of Buenos Aires and its suburbs and has more than 2.5 million customers. She said this was unprecedented. |
| “This is the first time something like this has happened across the entire country,” she said. | “This is the first time something like this has happened across the entire country,” she said. |
| Argentina has more than 44 million people, while Uruguay’s population is about 3.5 million. | Argentina has more than 44 million people, while Uruguay’s population is about 3.5 million. |
| An electrical grid that serves both nations “collapsed” at 7:07 a.m., cutting electricity in all of Argentina and affecting Uruguay as well, the Argentine Secretariat of Energy said. | An electrical grid that serves both nations “collapsed” at 7:07 a.m., cutting electricity in all of Argentina and affecting Uruguay as well, the Argentine Secretariat of Energy said. |
| “The causes have not been determined and are being investigated,” it added. | “The causes have not been determined and are being investigated,” it added. |
| Edesur announced on Twitter about 7:50 a.m. that a “massive failure in the electrical interconnection system left all of Argentina and Uruguay without power.” | Edesur announced on Twitter about 7:50 a.m. that a “massive failure in the electrical interconnection system left all of Argentina and Uruguay without power.” |
| Uruguay’s UTE also said on Twitter that a malfunction in the Argentine network before dawn had left the “entire national territory” without service. | Uruguay’s UTE also said on Twitter that a malfunction in the Argentine network before dawn had left the “entire national territory” without service. |
| By midday, power was slowly returning to parts of both countries. The Energy Secretariat of Argentina said that one-third of the supply had been restored as of 1:30 p.m. | |
| The systems are resuming “gradually as a result of thermal plants coming into service,” it said. | |
| Isolated neighborhoods in Buenos Aires started getting power by midmorning, and supply returned to normal in the eastern province of Entre Rios. The province of Santa Fe had some power return, and a little more than half of normal power was restored to the western provinces of Mendoza and San Juan. | Isolated neighborhoods in Buenos Aires started getting power by midmorning, and supply returned to normal in the eastern province of Entre Rios. The province of Santa Fe had some power return, and a little more than half of normal power was restored to the western provinces of Mendoza and San Juan. |
| The Patagonia region got some power back, but the process was delayed by failures in the region’s power plants. | The Patagonia region got some power back, but the process was delayed by failures in the region’s power plants. |
| In Uruguay, services north of the Río Negro (Black River) were restored, as well as in some sections of the capital, Montevideo, and surrounding areas and along the coast. | |
| An economist in Uruguay said on Twitter that radio outlets had reported 180,000 customers without power in Montevideo and 45,000 in Canelones, a city to the north of the capital. | An economist in Uruguay said on Twitter that radio outlets had reported 180,000 customers without power in Montevideo and 45,000 in Canelones, a city to the north of the capital. |
| In Argentina, only the southern archipelago of Tierra del Fuego appeared to be unaffected, according to local reports. | In Argentina, only the southern archipelago of Tierra del Fuego appeared to be unaffected, according to local reports. |
| In 2009, a huge power failure in Brazil involving the world’s largest operating hydroelectric plant caused widespread blackouts that affected tens of millions of people and exposed the vulnerability of the country’s electricity infrastructure. | In 2009, a huge power failure in Brazil involving the world’s largest operating hydroelectric plant caused widespread blackouts that affected tens of millions of people and exposed the vulnerability of the country’s electricity infrastructure. |
| That failure occurred at the Itaipú plant, which straddles the border between Brazil and Paraguay along the Paraná River and is a critical source of power for both nations. | That failure occurred at the Itaipú plant, which straddles the border between Brazil and Paraguay along the Paraná River and is a critical source of power for both nations. |