Where Did the Failure Originate?

Servicios Públicos Sociedad del Estado (SPSE)—the state-owned public utility company serving Río Gallegos—reported that the incident occurred around 10:40 AM on Saturday, June 27, 2026. A failure in the electrical terminal connection of Cell N° 3 caused a false contact, generating an extremely high-temperature point that deteriorated the fixing bolt and the terminal itself.

This type of equipment, known as a cell in electrical engineering, is a modular compartment within transformer stations that houses switching and protection devices for high-voltage circuits. When one fails, it can trigger protective shutdowns across the network.

The damage took Distribution Centers N° 1 and N° 5 out of service, primarily affecting the neighborhoods of Centro (Downtown), Evita, Del Carmen, El Faro, and Zona Frigorífico, as well as surrounding areas.

Affected Neighborhoods

Río Gallegos, located in Argentine Patagonia near the Strait of Magellan, is home to approximately 100,000 residents. Residents from various parts of the city reported that the outage also impacted additional neighborhoods:

Repair Operations

The SPSE Energy Networks team conducted a comprehensive line inspection to pinpoint the source of the issue. Once identified, they proceeded to repair and replace all damaged components, showcasing the technical expertise of local utility workers.

As a preventive measure to protect both the electrical infrastructure and operational personnel, around 2:00 PM, controlled maneuvers were performed on Distribution Centers N° 2 and N° 4, which were temporarily taken offline while repairs continued—a standard safety protocol in electrical grid management.