“We are trapped like sardines in the dark”

More than 8 million households across Chile had no electricity on Tuesday afternoon because power transmission lines failed, cutting off power supply in much of the country.

In the capital San Diego, the entire underground train system was suspended almost immediately. Thousands of people had to be evacuated and the station was in darkness.

One passenger described the moment when their underground train was stalled, “We are like sardines in the dark.”

When cuts occur, many people who have been lifting in the station must be released by firefighters.

A woman from the 1970s was trapped in an elevator between two floors of a San Diego building.

She told local media that she had “kicked” the elevator door, attracting her plight, and her screams finally reminded the concierge.

“I’m brave, I told myself, ‘I’m not going to die here,’ she said.

Videos shared on social media also show that passengers in the city use their phone’s flashlight to find their way out.

According to the San Diego Metropolis, the underground evacuation was completed 90 minutes after the cuts – but the damage caused by the power outage lasted for many hours.

The 150 additional buses deployed to ferry passengers are not enough to compensate for the subway suspension, which transports an average of 2.3 million passengers per day.

The long line formed at the bus stops, passengers became more and more angry as the packed bus did not stop.

Their numbers soon swelled as workers sent home early, as most offices were paralyzed by lack of electricity.

“The power went out at 3:00 p.m., so we didn’t have electricity at all,” said a San Diego shop owner. “People start closing around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m..”

The failure of several traffic lights further damaged traffic in the capital.

A truck collided with a car at an intersection where traffic lights went out, and there were reports of another accident caused by the lack of function of traffic lights.

As the deadlock gets worse, thousands are forced to walk to their destinations at summer temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Sharon Ortiz, one of the 28-year-old waitresses, said the public transportation system had “crashed.”

“I was two hours late and I was stuck in the middle of Costanera [shopping centre] From there I had to walk. ” she said.

Some people hitchhike in the back of the truck.

Restaurants and cafes are businesses affected by the cuts.

Some are still open to rest for those walking home, but many are shut down because cash machines, card machines and refrigerators are not working properly.

Fantasilandia, an amusement park in San Diego, unfolds some of the most dramatic scenes, with at least twelve people trapped on a roller coaster.

The manager of Fantasilandia said that although the park has backup generators, the attraction will not restart immediately for safety reasons.

Hospitals rely on emergency generators for power.