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Madrid is facing massive disruptions as a major electricity blackout sweeps across Spain, plunging large parts of the capital into darkness and affecting public transportation, emergency services. Portugal also reported blackout.
A large-scale power outage has crippled Spain and parts of Portugal, causing massive disruptions across both countries. Spain’s national railway company, Renfe, confirmed that the entire national electricity grid was cut off at 12:30 PM local time (11:30 BST), halting train services across the country. Renfe reported that trains were stopped at all stations with no departures, further compounding the chaos.
The blackout has disrupted electricity supply across Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona. Communication networks too have been affected impacting internet and mobile services in the affected regions.
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Local reports say there are traffic jams in the centre of the Spanish capital, Madrid, due to traffic lights not working.
The above video is from Cibeles Square in Madrid. Many on X shared that the digital life was hugely affected from shops, to traffic lights, hospitals, airports and phones, had gone down.
Spain's grid operator, Red Electrica, confirmed widespread power cuts, with efforts currently underway to restore electricity supplies. The operator also stated that it is analyzing the causes of the blackout, assuring the public that all available resources are being used to resolve the situation. “All resources are being dedicated to solving it,” Red Electrica posted on X.
The effects of the blackout were felt immediately in Madrid, where traffic jams paralyzed the city’s streets. The failure of traffic lights exacerbated the situation, as drivers struggled to navigate the capital’s busy roads. Public transport was also severely impacted, with buses and trams delayed due to the grid failure.
In addition to the power outages in Spain, similar reports have emerged from neighboring Portugal, where large areas also experienced blackouts. Local authorities in both countries are scrambling to restore normalcy and investigate the cause of the widespread power failure. The Spanish government has urged citizens to remain patient as the power restoration process continues.
Portuguese police said that the traffic lights were affected across the country. The metro was also closed in the capital city Lisbon as well as Porto, The officials confirmed that trains were not running.
Preliminary reports suggest the outage may stem from a failure in the interconnected European power grid, potentially exacerbated by recent high demand and integration challenges with renewable energy sources.
