'unprecedented' power outage hits argentina and uruguay, affecting tens of millions - solar traffic lights manufacturers

Earlier Sunday, a widespread blackout cost most of South America, including Argentina and Uruguay, and an energy company official called the blackout "unprecedented".
"According to local news reports, the suspension of the film sounded the traffic system and water supply in Argentina.
Reported that the train stopped and traffic lights went out.
Social media users said Chile, Paraguay and parts of southwestern Paraguay were also affected.
Argentina's interconnected system collapsed at 7:07 a. m. m.
Argentina's Energy Secretariat says the country's reduced electricity supply across the country has affected Uruguay.
"The cause has not been determined and is under investigation," it added.
Edesur, an Argentine power company, announced on Twitter about 7:50 a. m. m.
"The large-scale failure of the electrical interconnection system resulted in the interruption of power supply in Argentina and Uruguay.
Ute, Uruguay's energy supplier, also said on Twitter that Argentina's network malfunctioned before dawn, resulting in the loss of service to "the entire national territory".
Argentina has a population of more than 44 million and Uruguay has a population of about three. 5 million.
"Argentina has a total blackout," said Alejandra Mart_nez, a spokesman for Edesur, who serves parts of the capital Buenos Aires and its suburbs, with more than two.
Five million customers.
Mart_nez called Argentina's blackout "unprecedented".
She added: "This is the first time that something like this has happened in the country.
According to a person familiar with the situation, the blackout was caused by the failure of two separate 500,000-volt transmission lines in a corridor, which will be powered from the Yakeleta Dam to Buenos Aires. -
Senior government officials.
The cause of the failure is still unclear.
Argentine officials said at 10:30 a. m. m.
It takes four to five hours to restore service to the whole country at local time.
The blackout occurred over a weekend when heavy rains hit Buenos Aires and its suburbs.
Residents posted pictures of their dark towns.
ElClar_n said the blackout was the most serious in Argentina's recent history, causing the traffic system in Buenos Aires to stop running, trains to stop running and traffic lights to go out.
Infobae, an Argentine news website, reported that flights appeared to be taking off and landing because of the use of generators at the airport.
An economist in Uruguay tweeted that radio stations reported that 180,000 users in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, had power outages, while 45,000 in the northern city of Caneron had power outages.
Edsour was one of the first people to warn of a major blackout. Another dealer, Edeno, posted the same message on Twitter at 8:33 a. m. to serve the Argentine capital and its suburbs. m.
According to local reports, only Tierra del Fuego in southern Argentina seems unaffected.
Late Sunday morning, Argentina's Energy Secretariat said work on restoring electricity had begun in parts of the country, but restoring the entire system "may take several hours".
Aysa Water Company, based in Buenos Aires, requires customers to supply water quantitatively because its water distribution system has been shut down.
In 2009, Brazil suffered a huge power failure involving the world's largest hydroelectric power plant, resulting in a massive blackout, affecting tens of millions of people and exposing the vulnerability of Brazil's power infrastructure.
The accident occurred at the Itap nuclear power plant, which is located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, along the Parana River and is a key source of electricity for both countries.