Power outages lasted for several hours in Ecuador, leaving the country of more than 17 million people in darkness.

A fault in an energy transmission line on Wednesday caused power outages in hospitals, homes and a major subway system, the government said.

Ecuador’s Energy Minister Roberto Luque said the failure, which was reported by the country’s national electric operator, led to “a kind of loss of electrical connection” and left the South American country completely in darkness.

He said efforts were underway to resolve the problem and repair damaged power lines.

Soon after power was restored, Luke attributed this to a lack of investment in the electrical system.

He said it was “further evidence of the energy crisis we are facing.”

“For many years we have stopped investing in these systems and today we are suffering the consequences,” he said.

Ecuador has been struggling with a power generation crisis for the past year, leading to rationing across the country. In April, President Daniel Noboa’s government introduced power rationing in the country’s major cities because of a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern. The drought has emptied reservoirs, reducing the output of hydroelectric plants, which supply about 75 percent of Ecuador’s electricity.