NewsSpain's power outage chaos: 92% restored, cause unknown

Spain's power outage chaos: 92% restored, cause unknown

The Spanish operator Red Eléctrica has restored power to just over 90% of mainland Spain following a historic and massive power outage. Since midday on Monday, the situation in Spanish cities can be summed up in one word: chaos.

Spain after the outage. Over 90% of power has been restored. In the photo, tourists who spent the night at the station in Cordoba.
Spain after the outage. Over 90% of power has been restored. In the photo, tourists who spent the night at the station in Cordoba.
Images source: © East News | JAVIER SORIANO
Katarzyna Staszko

What you need to know

  • The power outage affected mainland Spain as well as parts of Portugal and France. It occurred on Monday around 1:30 PM (ET) and was the most serious in the country's history.
  • On Tuesday morning, the operator Red Eléctrica announced the restoration of power at a level of 92.09%.
  • The cause of the outage remains unknown. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emphasized that the authorities are not ruling out any scenario.

By Tuesday morning, at 11:00 PM (ET), Red Eléctrica announced that power had been restored to 92.09% of mainland Spain.

The process of restoring power supplies lasted throughout the night.

What about the cause of the outage?

The cause of the outage remains unknown, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pointed out that the authorities are not ruling out any scenario.

"This has never happened before," emphasized Sánchez, highlighting the uniqueness of the situation.

Chaos in Madrid

On Monday, Madrid was paralyzed. The metro and trains stopped running, and many flights at Barajas Airport were canceled. Traffic lights were not functioning in the city, forcing the police to manually direct road traffic. People could not leave underground garages because the gates would not open.

Firefighters in the capital carried out over 200 rescue operations, mostly assisting those trapped in elevators.

Power in Madrid's districts began to return around 2:30 PM (ET), often greeted by residents with bursts of joy. Near Plaza de Castilla in the Chamartín district, shouts of "Long live Spain!" could be heard. The traffic lights at the famous Plaza de Cibeles didn't illuminate until around 4:30 PM (ET).

The mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, announced that on Tuesday, travel on all city buses in Madrid would be free of charge.

Related content