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

Internet and mobile phone services blinkered offline. People complained of water shortages as pumps stopped working. Emergency generators helped hospitals and government offices continue operating.

Chile on Tuesday declared a state of emergency and curfew across much of the country, including the capital Santiago, following a massive, rare blackout that left millions without power.