Tue Apr 29 03:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Iberian Peninsula Plunged into Darkness by Massive Power Outage

**Madrid/Lisbon** – A massive, unexplained 12-hour power outage crippled much of Spain and Portugal on Monday, throwing the Iberian Peninsula into chaos and affecting over 50 million people. The unprecedented blackout caused widespread disruption, halting transportation, communication, and daily life. Both countries declared states of emergency.

The outage, which began around 12:15 pm local time, saw a sudden drop in electricity supply of approximately 15 gigawatts – roughly 60% of Spain’s demand at the time. By late Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that nearly 50% of Spain’s electricity had been restored, but warned full recovery remained uncertain. Portugal’s National Cybersecurity Center ruled out a cyberattack as the cause. While Portuguese officials pointed to a problem within Spain’s electricity distribution network, the exact cause remains under investigation.

The blackout had a devastating impact:

* **Transportation:** Subways in major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon were shut down, requiring passenger evacuations. Airport operations were severely hampered, with delays and closures in Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Traffic lights failed, leading to manual traffic control.
* **Communications:** Phone and internet services were severely disrupted.
* **Businesses and Services:** Businesses were forced to close, courts suspended operations, and ATM and electronic payment systems failed. Hospitals and emergency services relied on backup generators. Gas stations in Portugal were inoperable.
* **Other:** The Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended. Even Spain’s Parliament and the RTVE newsroom were plunged into darkness.

Both Spanish and Portuguese governments held emergency meetings to assess the situation and coordinate recovery efforts. Authorities in both countries are expected to provide a detailed explanation of the outage and recovery timeline on Tuesday. The investigation into the cause of this unprecedented event continues.

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