The Argentine electrical network has suffered a cut that has affected for about four hours to 20 million people in the central region of Buenos Aires, as well as in other Argentine provinces, after registering a fall of at least three high voltage lines as a result of a fire.

The blackout, which has lasted between three and four hours, has affected almost the entire country, from the northeast to Santa Cruz in the south. A fire in some pasturesduring the current heat wave, has caused the stoppage of an electrical transmission line leading to the disconnection of several high voltage lines.

About 40 percent of the country’s total electricity demand has been left without light, which is equivalent to more than six million homes in which is the worst blackout in Argentina in the last four yearsas reported by local media.

Specific, In less than 30 minutes, 10,000 megawatts have stopped working of power from the electrical network, an abrupt drop that, according to the Transener company, has been caused by the cut in three high-voltage lines that has affected the provinces of Santa Fe, Córdoba, Mendoza and San Juan.

Judicial complaint

The Argentine Economy Minister, Sergio Massa, has indicated that he suspects that the fire was “intentional”for which reason it has filed a legal complaint in order to “investigate, prosecute and, where appropriate, arrest” those responsible for the fires that have caused the drop in electricity service in a large part of the country, according to the agency of news Telam.

Massa has presented the complaint before the Federal Court of First Instance of Campana, as head of Economy, since it has under its leadership the Ministry of Energy.

The Undersecretary of Energy, Santiago Yanotti, has announced through its social networks that it has requested justiceby instruction of the minister, that “immediately all the necessary measures are available to find those responsible for the very serious events that occurred today.”