A sweeping Blackout struck most of Spain and all of Portugal around noon on Monday (April 28), paralyzing public transport, power, and phone services across the Iberian Peninsula. Parts of France were also impacted, according to Portugal’s grid operator, REN. Authorities are scrambling to identify the cause of the outage, with Spain’s grid operator, Red Electrica, and the government launching urgent investigations. A cyberattack has not been ruled out.
Major cities impacted by Electricity Blackout
The unprecedented power cut, described as highly unusual for Europe, left major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon in disarray. Public transport ground to a halt, traffic lights failed, and phone services were disrupted. In Madrid, metro stations were evacuated, and office workers flooded the streets of the financial district. Ambulances navigated chaotic traffic along Castellana Avenue, where police used loudspeakers to direct vehicles and pedestrians. ATMs in city centers were also reported inoperable.
Spain’s government has established a crisis committee to manage the situation, while utilities have activated backup plans, Red Electrica announced on Twitter. Portugal’s REN confirmed it is investigating alongside French counterparts. An hour after the outage began, officials remained unable to pinpoint its cause.
The blackout spared Spain’s Canary and Balearic Islands, a government spokesperson confirmed. Companies across Spain sent workers home, and police were deployed to control swelling crowds in urban centers.
This marks one of the worst power outages in recent European history. Spain has no record of a similar event in recent decades, while Italy faced a comparable crisis in 2003, and London endured a major blackout in 2018. As investigations continue, authorities are working to restore services and prevent further disruption.
Investigations are ongoing, and updates are expected as more information becomes available.
Major cities impacted by Electricity Blackout
The unprecedented power cut, described as highly unusual for Europe, left major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon in disarray. Public transport ground to a halt, traffic lights failed, and phone services were disrupted. In Madrid, metro stations were evacuated, and office workers flooded the streets of the financial district. Ambulances navigated chaotic traffic along Castellana Avenue, where police used loudspeakers to direct vehicles and pedestrians. ATMs in city centers were also reported inoperable.
Spain’s government has established a crisis committee to manage the situation, while utilities have activated backup plans, Red Electrica announced on Twitter. Portugal’s REN confirmed it is investigating alongside French counterparts. An hour after the outage began, officials remained unable to pinpoint its cause.
The blackout spared Spain’s Canary and Balearic Islands, a government spokesperson confirmed. Companies across Spain sent workers home, and police were deployed to control swelling crowds in urban centers.
This marks one of the worst power outages in recent European history. Spain has no record of a similar event in recent decades, while Italy faced a comparable crisis in 2003, and London endured a major blackout in 2018. As investigations continue, authorities are working to restore services and prevent further disruption.
Investigations are ongoing, and updates are expected as more information becomes available.
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