Blackout hits Spain, Portugal disrupting critical infrastructure
A huge power outage swept over Spain and Portugal on Monday, leaving millions in the dark and affecting crucial infrastructure.The outage, which began late Monday morning local time, affected both countries, with Portuguese authorities informing local media that the blackout was nationwide.
Similar reports emerged from Spain, indicating a widespread impact throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
Major transportation hubs were significantly damaged, with Madrid's Barajas International Airport and Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport having to close owing to power outages.
Telecommunications networks also failed, leaving inhabitants of both countries without access to mobile services, hindering response efforts.
Airports around the Iberian Peninsula have come to a halt, with flights from Brussels and other European cities to Spain and Portugal cancelled, leaving hundreds of people stranded, Euronews has discovered.
The power failure forced all Renfe trains to stop, with no departures from stations around the country, the corporation reported on X.
Renfe administers important public rail services including as high-speed AVE, Avlo, Alvia, Euromed, and Intercity trains, which run over 1,000 trains every day and serve 1.3 million passengers on 5,000 routes.
This disruption has affected metro systems in Madrid and Lisbon, where trains are still stalled in tunnels between stations, according to Euronews Portugal.
Hospitals, including Madrid's La Paz and many medical facilities in Portugal, have also been affected, with some having to cancel procedures as a result of the outage.
According to Euronews, a hospital in Setúbal is using a backup generator to power crucial departments for 8-12 hours.
However, the hospital now lacks a water supply, internet connection, and has not received any information on when electricity will be restored or how to proceed.
To avoid overwhelming the system, authorities have asked individuals to contact 112 only in true emergencies.
The Spanish government has called an emergency meeting at Moncloa and is closely monitoring the situation as it develops. According to Euronews Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Red Eléctrica's control centre, which operates Spain's electric grid.
Meanwhile, the European Commission announced on Monday afternoon that it is "in contact with the national authorities of Spain and Portugal, as well as the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), to understand the underlying cause and the impact of the situation."
"As per EU legislation in place … there are protocols in place to restore the functioning of the system," according to the statement.
The central Madrid butcher's shop owner, Juan Muñoz, expressed uncertainty about the destiny of his items due to the blackout. Like many others, he was taken aback: "I was very surprised, as I imagine everyone else was — nobody was expecting something like this," he told Euronews.
Muñoz stated that he had taken necessary safeguards but was concerned about the duration of the interruption.
"We've taken all the meat and put it in the walk-in fridge, and have kept it shut to retain the temperature for as long as possible," he informed me.
"We don't know how long this will persist. They listen to the radio and declare they don't know. I've heard that power is gradually returning to some regions. But we'll see; if it's a matter of many hours, the chicken will be killed."
Mariana Guzmán, an employee at an ice cream shop and café in the city center, said the company faced losing dozens of ice cream vats if power was not restored within the next hour.
Standing behind the counter, she said We're simply waiting to see what happens because, realistically, if it doesn't return by then, we'll suffer a significant loss because they'll begin to melt, and refreezing them is really dangerous. It has already been almost an hour.
"The street is closed and the businesses are concerned … [because] you could stand to lose a lot."
Residents in Andorra and portions of France bordering Spain also reported being affected by the blackout. According to the most recent reports, interruptions have extended as far as Belgium.
Electricity supply has been restored in France following a partial interruption in some locations, according to RTE sources who spoke with Spanish news agency Efe. According to the reports, RTE is working on rerouting electricity to help reconnect Spain. Power has been restored in the Basque Country, according to reports.
Red Eléctrica reported on Monday afternoon that it has begun gradually restoring power to northern and southern Spain. However, the business warned that reconnecting all affected locations could take six to ten hours owing to technical difficulties.
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