Spain and Portugal experienced a major power outage that disrupted public transport, caused heavy traffic congestion, and delayed numerous flights. Utility operators worked urgently to restore the electricity supply.
Authorities were still investigating the cause of the blackout more than an hour after it began, and while no official explanation had been provided, they had not ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack, officials said.
“All plans for the phased restoration of energy supply are being activated, in coordination with European energy producers and operators,” a spokesperson from Portugal’s grid Operator REN said.
Portuguese police said traffic lights were affected across the country, the metro was closed in Lisbon and Porto, and trains were not running.
Lisbon’s subway transport operator, Metropolitano de Lisboa, said the subway was at a standstill with people still inside the trains.
Play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended, forcing 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov and British opponent Jacob Fearnley off the court as scoreboards went dark and overhead cameras lost power.
Hundreds of people stood outside office buildings on Madrid’s streets, and there was a heavy police presence around key buildings, directing traffic as well as driving along central atriums with lights, according to a Reuters witness.
During the blackout, people were forced to go about their daily routines without electricity, navigating in the dark.
