Fire knocks out half of Argentina's power grid

More than half of Argentina has been left without power after a fire affected the national electricity grid.

The capital Buenos Aires, other major cities and large swathes of the countryside are wholly or partly affected.

The fire reportedly started in open fields, affecting crucial power lines in the coastal zone and putting a nuclear power station offline.

The blackout comes in the middle of a heatwave and drought in Argentina.

With the South American nation still in its summer months, temperatures are consistently above 35C in some parts of the country.

The sweltering conditions coupled with the power outage have brought daily life to a halt in some regions, with classes suspended and businesses closed. Many are also having to go without air conditioning or refrigeration.

Major cities are worst affected, with an estimated 150,000 people still without power in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area.

The energy ministry has said it is confident of restoring power soon.

Power cuts are not uncommon in the country. In 2019 a massive electrical failure left tens of millions of people in the dark in Argentina as well as neighbouring Uruguay.

And in 2020, hundreds of thousands of homes were plunged into darkness in Buenos Aires.

SOURCE: BBC