Power blackout hits Chile, shuts copper mines (Reuters)

SANTIAGO (Reuters) – A widespread power blackout hit the Chilean capital and other parts of the South American country on Saturday, shutting down crucial mines in the world’s top copper producer, officials and Reuters witnesses said.

The outage could put added pressure on struggling Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. Chile’s power grid has been shaky since a massive earthquake early last year and critics blame under-investment in infrastructure.

Pinera’s popularity ratings have slipped since taking office in 2010 and he has faced massive protests by university students demanding deep educational reforms.

Chilean Energy Minister Rodrigo Alvarez said the cause of the failure was unknown and authorities were struggling to restore power. Computers that help run the energy grid were malfunctioning, he added.

Power was restored to parts of the capital, Santiago, within about two hours.

“This affects the fourth and seventh region, or much of the country’s most populous area,” he said on state TV.

Angloamerican said operations at its Los Bronces mine was halted by the blackout and state-run Codelco said its Andina division and its El Teniente mine were also paralyzed.

Authorities said the Collahuasi mine was not affected.

(Reporting by Moises Avila; editing by Todd Eastham)

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