Millions are left without power as a major outage halts trains, airports, and mobile networks across the Iberian Peninsula and parts of France
A massive power outage disrupted Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France on Monday, leaving millions without electricity, grid operators reported. The cause of the outage has not been determined yet.
Spain's railway operator Adif confirmed that trains across the country were halted, while airports operator Aena reported several incidents in Spanish airports. Mobile phone networks also went down, and many residents in Madrid and Barcelona were seen trying to reconnect by holding their smartphones up. With the internet inaccessible, people turned to radio for information.
The blackout also caused widespread traffic issues as traffic lights went out, forcing vehicles to slow down. Metro systems and trains were suspended, and Spain’s national road authority urged motorists to stop using the roads. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is on his way to meet with the Red Electrica authorities to discuss the situation. Power restoration efforts are ongoing, with some areas in the north and south of Spain seeing partial recovery.
