BBC / Screenshot
CV NEWS FEED // A sweeping electrical blackout left much of Spain and Portugal in chaos April 28, grounding flights, closing public transport, and forcing governments to declare emergency measures.
As cities lost power and telecommunications failed, Spain’s Interior Ministry authorized a state of emergency for regions that requested it, BBC reported. Madrid, Andalusia, and Extremadura quickly sought central assistance as basic services faltered.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said authorities have not yet determined the cause of the outage.
“We do not yet have conclusive information on the reasons for this [power] cut, so I ask the people, as we have done in past crises, to inform themselves through official channels,” Sánchez said in a national address, Reuters reported. “For the time being, there’s no evidence of any civil protection problems. I repeat, there are no problems of insecurity.”
Public services across Spain and Portugal experienced widespread disruption, according to BBC. Traffic lights stopped working, metro systems closed, and many supermarkets shifted to cash-only transactions.
In Portugal, residents reported widespread internet and phone failures, long supermarket lines, and shuttered courts and businesses. The national government’s main website remained down throughout the day.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro told reporters there is “no indication” that the outage was caused by a cyber attack and that he expects electricity to be fully restored in the country within hours, BBC reported.
In Lisbon, police officers directed vehicles at major intersections, and parts of the airport were temporarily closed. By midday, nearly 30% of Lisbon’s outgoing flights had been canceled. Airports in Madrid and Barcelona reported smaller numbers of cancellations.
Air traffic control operations remained functional, relying on emergency generators designed to activate instantly during outages. Spain’s air navigation authority confirmed that control centers continued to operate under backup systems to maintain flight safety.
Spanish power operator Red Electrica reported that more than 20% of Spain’s affected electricity supply had been restored by midday, with power returning gradually to regions including Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country, and Madrid, according to BBC. Power operator REN said electricity had been restored for 750,000 Portuguese customers. Support from France and Morocco helped bolster the recovery effort.
Authorities said hospitals continue operating without major issues, aided by emergency protocols, and no serious security incidents have been reported.
