Massive power outage in Spain and Portugal leaves thousands stranded and millions without light

An unprecedented power outage on Monday brought much of Spain and Portugal to a halt, causing widespread disruption to daily life, transportation, and communications across the Iberian Peninsula. Millions of residents lost access to electricity, phone and internet coverage, and even cash withdrawals from ATMs. The blackout left authorities scrambling to determine its cause as trains stalled, cities were paralyzed, and emergency services stretched thin.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the public, explaining that nearly 11 hours after the collapse, the exact cause remained unknown. The prime minister described the scale of the failure as historic, noting that at 12:33 p.m., Spain's power grid lost 15 gigawatts—approximat ely 60% of the country's energy demand—in just five seconds. This led to a total system crash, an event the country had never experienced before.

Eduardo Prieto, head of operations at Spain’s national grid operator Red Eléctrica, called the event "exceptional and extraordinary." By 11 p.m., about half of the country’s power had been restored, and Sánchez promised that the rest of the nation’s electricity supply would be fully functional by the end of Tuesday.

This massive outage was the second major power failure to hit Europe in less than six weeks. In March, a fire at London’s Heathrow Airport also caused severe disruptions. The latest incident added to growing fears of potential sabotage, possibly linked to international tensions. However, the Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center stated there was no evidence pointing to a cyberattack, a conclusion echoed by Teresa Ribera, a senior official at the European Commission, who labeled the incident one of the most serious in modern European energy history.

The outage hit both countries at midday, throwing cities like Madrid, Lisbon, and Barcelona into chaos. Traffic lights failed, subways and trains stopped, and thousands of workers were sent home as offices closed early. More than 35,000 passengers had to be evacuated from over 100 trains stranded on the tracks in Spain. By late evening, 11 trains still had passengers awaiting evacuation.

Public transport was paralyzed. In Madrid, hundreds of people stranded at a bus stop for the airport resorted to hitchhiking. “I’ve been here for almost three hours,” said Jessica Fernández, one of the many trying to find a ride. “This is terrifying.” In Barcelona, commuters struggled to find any working public transport, with buses unable to accommodate the growing crowds.

The blackout disrupted critical infrastructure as well. Hospitals and emergency services switched to backup generators, gas stations shut down, and mobile networks failed. Communication was limited, with most phone calls not going through. People resorted to using apps when possible or searched for battery-powered radios for updates.

While the mainland was heavily impacted, Spain’s territories including the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, and North African enclaves Ceuta and Melilla were spared. Following an emergency meeting of Spain's National Security Council, the military was ordered to distribute generators and supplies to the worst-affected areas starting Tuesday.

In Portugal, the government held an emergency session at Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s residence. Montenegro spoke repeatedly with Sánchez and said he expected power restoration by day's end. According to Portuguese officials, the blackout appeared to stem from issues beyond their borders.

To speed up recovery, Spain pulled electricity from neighboring Morocco and France and ramped up output from hydroelectric and thermal power plants. Sánchez expressed gratitude to the Moroccan and French governments for their support during the crisis.

Investigations are ongoing, and while no definitive cause has been established, the event has prompted urgent reviews of infrastructure resilience across the region.