Blackout dives Portugal and Spain in chaos

The worst electric blackout in the recent history of Spain and Portugal paralyzed life in both countries on Monday (28). Millions of people, from north to south of the peninsula – except for the islands – were left without electricity for hours. Without an official explanation, the chaos has taken place: outstanding traffic lights, trains and subway, collapse airports, hospitals operating in emergency mode and practically paralyzed trade.

Spanish President Pedro Sánchez said in a statement that “there is no conclusive data” about the causes and asked the limit population, save energy and use mobile phones only for emergencies. “It’s a difficult day, of tremendous impact and transcendence,” said Sánchez.

In Portugal, the blackout was equally widespread, reaching trains, subway and airports, with Lisbon being one of the most affected places. Red Electric National confirmed the problem and said it still investigates the causes. Despite the chaos, Portuguese hospitals managed to maintain care with the use of generators.

Partial recovery and international aid

From 1:30 pm (local time), the supply began to be gradually restored in some regions thanks to electrical interconnections with France and Morocco. By 7 pm, the electric – Spanish operator – reported that the light had already returned in parts of Madrid, Andalusia, Catalonia, Basque country, Galicia, among others.

Nevertheless, the director of services to the operation of Red Electric, Eduardo Prieto, warned that total recovery can take 6 to 10 hours. The Spanish and Portuguese authorities, as well as the European Commission, so far discard any evidence of sabotage, but do not exclude any hypothesis. The one that gains more strength concerns a rare atmospheric phenomenon, with extreme temperatures in the interior of the country.

Sánchez assured that the causes of the cut are unknown and called on the responsibility of citizens. According to him, there was “a strong technical oscillation, in technical terms, in the European electrical system, which triggered the interruption of supply throughout the Iberian Peninsula and some areas of southern France”, but there is no “conclusive information about the reasons for this cut yet”.

“The technicians of the electric Red [a distribuidora espanhola de energia] They are working to determine the causes and solve the problem as soon as possible, ”said Sánchez, who considered that the priority and the most important at this time is to guarantee the power supply throughout the country.

Spain expects to recover the supply of electricity across the country “soon” after today’s blackout, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that the causes of the cut are unknown and called on the responsibility of citizens.

According to Sánchez, there was today “a strong technical oscillation, in technical terms, in the European Electric System, which triggered the interruption of supply throughout the Iberian Peninsula and some areas of southern France”, but there is no “conclusive information about the reasons for this cut yet.”

“The technicians of the electric Red [a distribuidora espanhola de energia] They are working to determine the causes and solve the problem as soon as possible, ”said Sánchez, who considered that the priority and the most important at this time is to guarantee the power supply throughout the country.

Urban mobility and public services in collapse

The impact was immediate on public and private transportation. High -speed trains, subway and bus networks interrupted their services, leaving thousands of passengers retained in stations and wagons. In the air sector, airports such as Madrid-Barajas and Lisbon-Armadora recorded delays and failures in boarding and luggage systems.

In cities, traffic has become a real challenge: inoperative traffic lights, long traffic jams, and closed tunnels have forced many citizens to resort to walking as the only safe means of locomotion. The General Traffic Directorate recommended that the population avoid using cars, except in cases of extreme need.

Hospitals, industry and telecommunications under pressure

Hospitals activated generating groups to maintain vital equipment working, but non -urgent medical procedures were suspended. The industrial sector also suffered: Ford, Seat and Iveco factories interrupted production, while petrochemical complexes triggered secure stop protocols.

Telecommunications networks recorded generalized flaws. Although some mobile services have been partially active, messaging applications like WhatsApp had instability. Companies like Telefónica and Vodafone set up crisis committees to try to normalize the service.

A warning about energy vulnerability

Monday’s blackout revealed the fragility of energy and communication infrastructures in highly urbanized and technology-dependent countries. The episode also sheds light on the need for more robust contingency systems and investments in energy security.

While investigations are still ongoing, the population of Spain and Portugal is experiencing a rare and disconcerting return to a daily life without electricity – and with it, the reflection on what the dependence of energy in the modern world means.