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Severe Blackout Disrupts Life in Spain and Portugal
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A significant blackout recently struck much of Spain and Portugal, causing widespread disruptions including halted subway services, interrupted phone communications, and non-functional traffic lights and ATMs for over 50 million residents in the region.
According to Red Eléctrica, the Spanish power distributor, it may take between six to ten hours to restore electricity to large sections of both countries. The entity has not provided any speculation regarding the blackout’s origins. Meanwhile, the Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center reported no indications that the outage resulted from a cyberattack.
Eduardo Prieto, the director of operations at Red Eléctrica, characterized the event as unprecedented and described it as “exceptional and extraordinary.”
The blackout affected numerous regions across Spain and Portugal, including their capitals, Madrid and Lisbon. Government offices closed as traffic congestion worsened due to inoperative traffic signals. Although some mobile phone networks experienced issues, a few applications remained functional.
It remains uncertain how many individuals were impacted by the outage, given its rarity across the Iberian Peninsula. Authorities have not yet identified the cause, but local reports suggest that the underlying issue might be with Spain’s electricity distribution network.
In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council and visited Red Eléctrica to oversee the restoration efforts.
The Portuguese government also held an emergency meeting to address the crisis. According to an official from Portugal, initial assessments indicated the blackout was linked to issues outside Portuguese territory. Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro remarked, “It appears to have originated from Spain’s distribution network, and investigations are ongoing.”
According to the Portuguese distributor E-Redes, the outage stemmed from “a problem with the European electricity system.” It was necessary to cut power in certain areas to stabilize the affected network, as detailed by the Portuguese newspaper, Expresso.
Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE reported a major power outage impacting multiple regions just after noon local time, plunging its newsroom, parliamentary buildings, and subway stations into darkness.
Data from Spain’s electricity network website illustrated a dramatic decline in demand, plummeting from approximately 27,500 megawatts to near 15,000 megawatts around 12:15 p.m.
Airports in Spain operated on backup systems, resulting in flight delays, as reported by Aena, the organization overseeing 56 airports, including those in Madrid and Barcelona.
In Lisbon, airport terminals were closed, leaving numerous tourists waiting in the sun and shade for updates regarding their flights. Dutch tourist Marc Brandsma expressed frustration, saying, “We haven’t seen any plane arriving or departing in the 50 minutes we’ve been waiting here.”
Train services ground to a halt in both countries. Footage aired on Spanish television depicted commuters evacuating metro stations in Madrid, along with empty stations in Barcelona where trains were stopped.
The Spanish Parliament temporarily suspended its operations, and matches at the Madrid Open tennis tournament were also halted, with three matches in progress when the power failure occurred.
Spain’s traffic department urged citizens to minimize car usage due to inoperative traffic lights and electronic signage, resulting in congested roadways.
Barcelona’s streets were crowded with pedestrians gathered in front of darkened shops, exchanging information about the situation. Immediate concerns revolved around which mobile carriers still offered spotty coverage and where access to the internet might be secured. Commuters faced difficulties returning home due to closed subway services and overcrowded public buses.
In the industrial town of Terrassa, located 50 kilometers from Barcelona, local stores selling generators reported being out of stock following a rush of customers eager to make purchases.
In Portugal, where around 10.6 million people reside, the blackout primarily affected Lisbon and surrounding regions, along with northern and southern areas of the country. Portuguese police increased their presence to manage traffic and assist individuals, including those trapped in elevators.
Emergency services and hospitals in Portugal switched to generator power, although gas stations became inoperative.
Portugal’s National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection confirmed that backup power systems were functioning where required. Reports indicated that several subway cars in Lisbon had to be evacuated, while operations at courts ceased and ATMs along with electronic payment solutions were largely disrupted.
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