Wide power outages hit Spain and Portugal

The main power outage struck Spain and Portugal on Monday afternoon, suddenly closed daily activities, stopped trains and subway, cut traffic lights, closed stores and cancel or delaying some flights.

Hours after the energy was closed at approximately 12:30 pm Central European time, and dozens of millions of people on the Iberian Peninsula, officials remained in an emergency situation and a loss regarding the cause, although many of them denied any unpleasant play.

“At this stage, there are no indications of any electronic attack,” Antonio Costa, head of the European Council, wrote. On x After communicating with the leaders of Spain and Portugal, who collected emergency meetings. “Network operators in both countries work to find the reason and restore electricity supplies.”

By Monday evening, with the help of electricity converted from Morocco and France, parts of northern and southern Spain had returned to life to national life in Spain, Red Eléctrica, that Power is gradually regained throughout the country.

In Portugal, the electricity and gas supplier, RN, announced that the energy has been re -connected to two important sub -stations near Lisbon and that the residents of Greater Porto should return online soon.

The power outage briefly affected France. RTE, the French electrical network operator, said in a statement that some families in the Basque region have lost electricity, but “all energy has been restored since then.”

However, others remained in the dark.

The reaction all over the region ranged from feverish storage to the confusion to abandon calm and carry out living ways free of old electricity.

There were widespread problems in the Internet and phone networks through Spain and Portugal. The lack of access to the information was confusing to many

“Not to know what is going on is the worst part,” said Lucia Brezku, 57. “It is the first time that we face something like this.”

Soon after the electricity cut, the long lines began to form ATMs. The Spanish Traffic Authority noted that traffic lights and electrical road signs have stopped working, asking the population to “avoid driving as much as possible” – although many were unable to reach the message.

Soon after blackout, footage in the Spanish media showed scenes of chaos in Madrid. With the absence of traffic lights, vehicles prevented the extensive ways in the city, the traffic police were improvised, and they are doing their best to keep things moving. By late in the afternoon, the passengers get rid of their cars, and instead chose to walk.

The streets and squares were full of people on foot. The Spanish media were mired in stories: a train passenger, who were separated for hours in the middle of anywhere, climbing from their vehicles and they were sitting next to the paths, under the sun, pending their rescue. According to news reports, up to 30,000 passengers need to save.

In the Spanish city of Valencia, emergency services were saved people from elevators throughout the day. By 9 pm, the Valencia City Council announced on social media that all those detained were released in the elevators.

But the blackout sent the main institutions to the status of crisis management. Hospitals in Spain were running on generators. Portuguese banks and schools close their doors. The Madrid Open tennis championship was suspended He said ATP.

The Prado Museum was crowded when the lights fell through continental Spain. At that time, a Spanish television crew was scoring a width inside the building. Its cameras captured the confusion that followed, as tourists and school children showed the building by the museum’s employees, who were interested in the safety of some of the treasures of the nation, including artwork by Francisco Goya and Diego Filsuz.

Traveling on the train has been disabled throughout Spain. Renfe, the National Railways Company in Spain, wrote in A. After x These trains stopped working at all stations. The subway in several cities, including Valencia and MadridIt was also stopped

Later, the country’s Minister of Transport, Oscar Bennetti, said on X that the railway will remain closed throughout the day.

Joe Mert, a professor of geology at the University of Florida, was celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of his establishment with his wife, Michelle. He said in an interview on the phone that the train, which was suddenly dependent on the tracks in a rural area somewhere between Madrid and Valencia.

He said that after three hours, the dining car had only retracted beer and some soft drinks.

Sayyid Mert, 67, said, watching some cyclists stepped from the train and walking towards a tractor as one of the farmers provided water. He said that the train employees were walking from a car to a car, because the amplifier was no longer working.

“The last thing we heard is the lack of news,” said Mr. Mert.

About 20 percent of air traffic in Spain, President of Spain, Pedro Sanchez. He said at a press conference on Monday afternoon. Some flights were also delayed, which run many Spanish airports, On x.

Millions of people across the area tried to deal with turmoil while they still have daylight to spare them.

In Lisbon, people raced to grocery stores to fill water and dried goods. Many were lucky: some of the main grocery stores were closed. Small grocery stores have struggled to re -fill the shelves that were quickly emptied. In some meters, the scribes had hand bills using paper and pen, because the payment systems did not work.

“It looks like I was younger, 50 years ago,” said Francisco Garcia, 61, who is a boat restoring in the old part of Lisbon. He added: “It is a reminder of the extent of our dependence on things outside our control.”

For the first 30 minutes, Mr. Garcia managed to access news updates on his phone. Then the news sites were shattered. “We are in complete blackout,” he said.

Since the banking cards readers did not work, the payment was only cash – when people had obtained it. In the grocery store in the neighborhood, Rajan Basnet allowed the shoppers to be grateful who choose to empty the vacuum with the supplies they need, even if they could not pay.

“It may be I who needs something tomorrow,” said Mr. Basnit, who moved to Portugal four years ago from Nepal.

By 3 pm, the water disappeared, and most fresh vegetables were chosen, although it still has canned fish and rows of crackers and cookies.

The severed force left many people who were stranded and trapped – in the subway, on trains, in elevators. Teresa Garcia, 92, sat on a wheelchair outside her home in Murcia, in southeast Spain, waiting for the ability to return so that the elevator can recover her to her apartment.

“What will we do?” She said, lighting a cigarette in frustration.

The city’s courts were closed, and children’s activities and cultural events were canceled. Police officers are stationed in large intersections to direct traffic.

“We make sure that the Civil Guard is ready for the night, because nothing works,” said Maria Contraras, a city spokeswoman, of a dark corridor in the city hall. “Security cameras do not work for anyone; nothing works. Traffic lights, nothing. We are waiting to see when to come back.”

Despite confusion, many of them seemed to adapt to the turmoil. In Morsia, some of them were collapsed in a garden. The balconies of restaurants were full. Although sunlight in the middle of the day still shines brightly, the internal flamnco lessons continued, as people practiced in the light flowing from the windows.

In the center of Lisbon, the sound emanating from Barreia Oliveira was softer than the usual tonn of the Clippers. The barbers quietly cut the hair with scissors. They wondered loudly if the blackout was a problem with infrastructure, natural disasters, or international intervention.

“The Portuguese are very comfortable about most things.” “It takes some time before we start going out.”

Moreover, he added, “Things do not always do well in Portugal anyway. If this is Belgium, it may be different.”

Another Hallaq, Nuno Alves, said the greatest interest is what will happen after the armament ends.

“We can deal with blackout,” he said. “But the worst thing will be if they do not explain exactly what happened.”

Efratar Livniand Thiago Carrasco and Nazin Ghaffar The reports contributed.