Massive Blackout Strikes Spain and Portugal Leaving Millions in Darkness

Madri, Spain – A massive power outage began around noon on April 28, affecting thousands of citizens across Spain and Portugal, sparking chaos in major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon.

Reports of electricity shortages started coming in from across Spain shortly after 11:30 a.m. local time, impacting homes, train stations, hospitals, and shopping centers. The Spanish government is investigating the outages with teams from various ministries, while there is currently no official explanation regarding the cause.

According to Red Eléctrica, the public company responsible for network connections, work is underway to resolve the situation. The National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE) is also assessing the outages for possible links to a cyberattack but has not drawn any conclusions yet. The country’s third vice president, Sara Aagesen, is heading to the Electrical Network Control Center for clarification on the circumstances affecting the energy supply.

Citizens in various autonomous communities in Spain, including Zaragoza, Sevilla, and Bilbao, have reported a loss of electrical service, which has briefly returned only to fail again shortly after. In Portugal, the blackout has caused significant confusion at Lisbon Airport, leaving thousands of travelers stranded.

The blackout has disrupted public transportation, including both high-speed rail services in Spain and Portugal, and had adverse effects on traffic lights and commercial establishments. Major Spanish electricity companies, when consulted by EL PAÍS, could not justify the outages.

The Canary Islands and Balearic Islands have not been affected, as they operate isolated systems. However, in mainland Spain, the power cut led to losses in the Adif railway network, halting all train traffic nationwide.

In Madrid, the Metro service is suspended due to the lack of electricity, as is the Cercanías service. The Spanish Stock Exchange (BME) confirmed operations are continuing normally, but there may be some financial entities experiencing connectivity issues.

As the situation unfolds, authorities are prioritizing the identification of blackout causes. Residents are advised to remain calm, minimize mobile phone use to avoid network congestion, and disconnect sensitive appliances. The situation remains fluid as updates are expected to clarify the power outage’s origin and impact.