A major power grid failure struck Spain on Sunday afternoon, leaving large parts of the country without electricity. The outage also affected portions of Portugal and France, with footage from residents quickly circulating online.
The blackout impacted several key cities in Spain, including Madrid, Lisbon, Valencia, Barcelona, Seville, and Pamplona. Public transport, rail, and air traffic were severely disrupted, while traffic lights in many areas ceased to function. Hospitals have activated emergency generators, and telephone lines have also been paralyzed.
Spain’s grid operator, Red Eléctrica, described the situation as “the most serious of its kind in the country’s history.” The company estimates it could take between six to ten hours to fully restore the network. The cause of the outage remains unknown at this time. In a statement, Portugal’s National Cybersecurity Center emphasized that there are currently no indications suggesting a cyberattack.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called a meeting of the National Security Council for Monday.