Major power outage in Spain, Portugal interrupts travel and communications
Due to a massive power outage in Spain and Portugal, transportation and communication are both disrupted. According to reports, the Iberian Peninsula has been hit by a significant power outage, which has left millions of people in Spain and Portugal without access to enough electricity. In a post on X, the Spanish grid operator Red Electrica acknowledged the news and stated that staff are working immediately to investigate the reason of the power outage and restore power. Red Electrica stated that the causes are being investigated, and that all available resources are being devoted to finding a solution to the problem.
In addition, the blackout had an effect on the networks that provide transportation and telecommunications services, which resulted in broad disruption in both big cities and rural areas. Emergency services are encouraging individuals to maintain their composure and reduce their travel whenever it is possible to do so. The authorities have not yet established a schedule for the complete restoration of the area. As of right now, Euronews reports that the reason for the power outage is yet unknown. According to reports from the domestic media, however, there may have been an influence on the national grids of the Iberian Peninsula due to problems that occurred within the European electric grid.
At the same time, a fire that occurred on the Alaric Mountain in France, which caused damage to a high-voltage power line that connected Perpignan and eastern Narbonne, has been highlighted as a potential factor that contributed to the incident. A significant number of individuals were unable to make use of mobile networks as a result of the power outage that occurred at Madrid’s Barajas International Airport, as well as the disruptions that occurred in the field of telecommunications. Additional airports in the area have also ceased operations at this time.
It has been reported by Euronews Portugal that a significant number of passengers are currently stranded in the metro systems of both the capitals of Spain and Portugal, as trains have become stuck tunnels. Hospitals, including as La Paz in Madrid and other medical facilities in Portugal, have encountered difficulties as a result of the blackout. According to Euronews Spain, the Spanish government is currently having an emergency meeting at Moncloa and is keeping a careful eye on the situation. In order to prevent the lines from becoming overloaded, the public has been requested to refrain from calling 112 unless it is an actual emergency. In addition, residents of Andorra and several regions of France in close proximity to Spain reported being impacted by the blackout. The country of Belgium has also been the location of numerous reports of power outages.
It has not yet been determined what caused the power outage. Endesa and Iberdrola, two of Spain’s most prominent power companies, are conducting an investigation. According to certain local media outlets, the problem may be connected to the fact that Spain’s national grid is being affected by the European electric grid. According to the Portuguese national electric company REN, a fire that occurred on Alaric mountain in the south-western region of France caused damage to a high-voltage power line that connected Perpignan and eastern Narbonne. This could be one of the likely causes of the emergency.
