NewsHistoric power outage plunges Spain into chaos, restores 92%

Historic power outage plunges Spain into chaos, restores 92%

The Spanish operator Red Eléctrica restored power to just over 90% of mainland Spain following a historic, massive power outage. Since midday on Monday, Spanish cities have experienced chaos.

Spain after the breakdown. Over 90 percent of the power supply has been restored. In the photo, tourists who spent the night at the station in Cordoba.
Spain after the breakdown. Over 90 percent of the power supply has been restored. In the photo, tourists who spent the night at the station in Cordoba.
Images source: © East News | JAVIER SORIANO

What do you need to know?

        
  • The power outage affected mainland Spain, as well as parts of Portugal and France. It occurred on Monday around 1:30 PM (ET) and was the most serious in the country's history.
  • On Tuesday morning, the operator Red Eléctrica announced the restoration of power at a level of 92.09%.
  • The cause of the outage remains unknown. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has emphasized that the authorities are not ruling out any scenario.

On Tuesday morning, at 11:00 PM (ET), the operator Red Eléctrica announced that power had been restored to 92.09% of mainland Spain.

The process of restoring power supplies lasted throughout the night.

What about the cause of the outage?

The cause of the outage remains unknown. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pointed out that the authorities are not ruling out any scenario.

"This has never happened before," emphasized Sánchez, highlighting the uniqueness of the situation.

Chaos in Madrid

On Monday, Madrid was paralyzed. The metro and trains stopped running, and many flights at Barajas Airport were canceled. Traffic lights were not working in the city, forcing the police to manually direct road traffic. People were unable to leave underground garages because the gates couldn't be raised.

Firefighters in the capital conducted over 200 rescue operations, mostly to save those trapped in elevators.

Power in the districts of Madrid began to return around 2:30 PM (ET), often greeted by residents with bursts of joy. Near Plaza de Castilla in the Chamartín district, shouts of "Long live Spain!" could be heard. The traffic lights on the famous Plaza de Cibeles didn't light up until around 4:30 PM (ET).

The mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, announced that travel on all city buses in Madrid would be free of charge on Tuesday.

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