A sweeping blackout plunged most of Chile into darkness Tuesday, stranding commuters, knocking the internet offline and paralyzing businesses and daily life as officials scrambled to restore power. The government declared a state of emergency alongside a mandatory nighttime curfew that will last until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Power has been restored to most of Chile’s 19 million people after the nation’s most disruptive blackout in 15 years

More than eight million households across Chile were left without power on Tuesday afternoon after an electricity transmission line failed, cutting off the electricity supply to much of the country. In the capital,