Tue Apr 29 03:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Massive Power Outage Plunges Spain and Portugal into Darkness; Cyberattack Ruled Out

**Madrid, Spain** – A massive power outage affecting Spain and Portugal on Monday, leaving tens of thousands stranded on trains and causing widespread disruption, was not the result of a cyberattack, authorities confirmed Tuesday. The blackout, the largest in recent European history, impacted approximately 60% of Spain’s energy supply for five seconds before cascading across the Iberian Peninsula.

Spain’s electricity operator, Red Eléctrica, stated that preliminary investigations definitively ruled out a cybersecurity incident or any intrusion into their control systems. Instead, they pointed to two consecutive events, separated by 1.5 seconds, that indicated a generation disconnection originating in southwest Spain, a region with significant solar energy production.

The Portuguese government echoed the assessment, stating they had no information suggesting a cyberattack or hostile act. Both countries quickly restored power, with Spain achieving 99.95% restoration by Tuesday morning and Portugal fully restoring its network by Monday night.

While initial speculation pointed to various causes, including a rare atmospheric event, Spain’s national meteorological office (Aemet) dismissed weather as a factor, reporting no unusual atmospheric phenomena on Monday. A social media message attributing the outage to a rare atmospheric event was also debunked by Portuguese electricity operator REN.

The outage caused significant transport disruptions. Approximately 35,000 people were rescued from stalled trains, and Madrid’s metro system evacuated 150,000 passengers. While train services are gradually returning to normal, some regional lines remain suspended. Madrid’s metro system is almost fully operational, and all schools and essential services have reopened.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the event as unprecedented, emphasizing that experts are investigating all potential causes. The incident highlighted the vulnerability of even highly developed power grids and the impact of such widespread outages on daily life. While widespread outages are unusual in Europe, this event surpasses the scale of previous incidents like the 2003 Italy-Switzerland power failure. The investigation into the exact cause continues.

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