Spain and Portugal hit by major power outage, halting trains and flights and wiping out traffic lights
The outage took out screens, lighting and power sockets throughout the region; Portugal’s police force told people to avoid unnecessary journeys because traffic lights were at risk of failing.
Widespread outages hit parts of Spain, causing major traffic and crowds of people stuck without transit.
(CNN) — A massive power outage has knocked out electricity across huge parts of Spain and Portugal, shutting off traffic lights and causing chaos at airports, train stations and on the roads.
Portugal’s grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) said electrical supply was lost across the entire Iberian peninsula, and in parts of France, late on Monday morning.
Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it was working with energy companies to restore power, only some of which had been regained in the north and south by the afternoon. “The causes are being analyzed and all resources are being dedicated to solving it,” it said.
The outage took out screens, lighting and power sockets throughout the region; Portugal’s police force told people to avoid unnecessary journeys because traffic lights were at risk of failing. “Reduce your speed and pay extra attention,” they said. “Prioritise safe driving: your calmness saves lives.”
In Madrid, traffic piled up on the roads after the lights went out.
“I was driving and suddenly there was no traffic lights … It was a bit of a jungle,” Luis Ibáñez Jiménez told CNN. “I saw a massive bus coming, and I had to accelerate a lot to go past it.”
The cause of the sudden blackout was unclear, but its impact was dramatic.
General view of an empty court as the matches get suspended due to a power outage at the Madrid Open on Monday, April 28. (Photo credit: Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters via CNN Newsource)
Madrid’s mayor José Luis Martinez Almeida asked people to minimize their movements and only call emergency services if it was truly urgent. He also called on people to stay clear of the roads for emergency workers.
Portugal’s National Institute for Medical Emergencies said it had “activated its contingency plan,” running its telephone and IT systems through a back-up generator. Spain’s health ministry said the same process happened in hospitals there.
But flights at major airports in the region were suddenly delayed or cancelled, with travelers scrambling to adapt; online flight trackers reported that several airports saw their frequent departures suddenly halted after midday.
Ellie Kenny, a holidaymaker inside Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado airport, said hundreds of people were stood in the dark in queues, with no air conditioning or running water. Shops were only accepting cash, she told CNN.
Spanish train operator Renfe said trains had stopped and departures were canceled. And in subway tunnels, passengers were plunged into darkness. Video posted on social media showed blackened subway cars stuck in standstill on platforms in Madrid, where the metro was suspended and entrances to stations were taped off.
Some parts of southern France, near the Spanish border, felt a more sporadic impact.
Emilie Grandidie, a spokeswoman for France’s electricity transmission operator RTE, told CNN there was “a small power cut” in the French Basque Country; “It lasted only a couple of minutes and was restored very quickly,” she said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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