Millions of people in South America got hit by massive blackout

A massive blackout left tens of millions of people without electricity in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay on Sunday. The powercut affected tens of millions of people in an electrical failure.

According to state news agency Telam, the authorities were continuously working to restore power, finally which got restored by the evening and had returned to 98 percent of Argentina. Power also had been restored to most of Uruguay’s 3 million people as well as to people in neighboring Paraguay.

The blackout have affected a large number of population which was much greater than California’s. Across a region it was four times the size of Texas, while Argentina has more than 44 million people, and Uruguay about 3.5 million.

Across the region, residents have widely posted the images on social media of their darkened towns and cities. “Never in my life have I seen such a gigantic power cut”, while another posted a picture of dark streets, asking, said one twitter user.

“This is an unprecedented case that will be investigated thoroughly,” Argentine President Mauricio Macri tweeted.

“A localized failure like the one that occurred should be isolated by the same system. The problem is known and technology and studies (exist) to avoid it,” said Raúl Bertero, president of the Center for the Study of Energy Regulatory Activity in Argentina.

In Buenos Aires, which is a city of almost 15 million people, the cars slowed to a crawl as traffic lights went dark, and trains and subways stopped on their tracks.

“I was just on my way to eat with a friend, but we had to cancel everything. There’s no subway, nothing is working. What’s worse, today is Father’s Day. I’ve just talked to a neighbor and he told me his sons won’t be able to meet him,” said Lucas Acosta, a 24-year-old Buenos Aires resident.