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Ecuador was struck with an hours-long power cut, leaving the country of over 17 million people in darkness.

The blackout that left hospitals, homes, and a major subway system without electricity was caused by a failure in an energy transmission line on Wednesday, the government said.

Taking to X, Ecuador’s Minister of Energy Roberto Luque said that the failure was reported by the country’s National Electricity Operator and led to “a cascade disconnection,” leaving the South American nation in complete darkness.

He said that efforts were underway to solve the issue and repair faulty power lines.

Soon after the power was restored, Luque blamed the outage on a lack of investment in electrical systems.

He said that it was “just more proof of the energy crisis we’re dealing with.”

“For years, we have stopped investing in these systems, and today we are experiencing the consequences,” he added.

Since last year, Ecuador has been grappling with an electricity generation crisis, leading to rationing throughout the country. In April, President Daniel Noboa’s government initiated electricity rationing in the country’s major cities due to a drought associated with the El Niño weather pattern. This drought has depleted reservoirs, reducing the output of hydroelectric plants, which supply approximately 75 percent of Ecuador’s power.