A massive power outage across Chile plunged the country's capital Santiago into darkness on Tuesday and knocked out electricity to major copper mines in the country's north, buffeting global metal markets.

Electricity providers across Chile scrambled to restore service Tuesday after a sweeping blackout plunged 90% of the country into darkness, stranding commuters, knocking cell service offline and paralyzing businesses and daily life.

Chile's power grid and major copper mines slowly came back online on Wednesday morning after a major outage hit the world's top producer of the red metal, with power firms working to restore the system to full operation,

Chile's worst blackout in well over a decade struck on Tuesday afternoon, leaving millions without power. President Gabriel Boric blamed private companies that manage the grid for the system's failure.