* Argentina’s energy minister,
Flavia Royón, has said that a fire affecting a 500 kV high-voltage line connected to the national grid caused major blackouts affecting provinces including Santa Fe, Córdoba, Mendoza, San Juan, and parts of the capital, among others. The international media reported that over 20m people in major cities and large parts of the countryside in Argentina (pop. 46m) were affected. Local TV station
Todo Noticias reported that 40% of electricity demand was not met. Argentina’s leading electricity transmission company, Transener, reported that services began to be restored shortly after 6pm, although disruptions to daily life continued across much of the country with many having to go without air conditioning or refrigeration. The power cut comes as Argentina is experiencing a major heatwave and drought. Argentina’s economy minister,
Sergio Massa, has presented a complaint before the justice system, calling for an investigation into who was responsible for the fire.
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