A massive power outage on Monday has resulted in all of mainland Spain losing electricity, affecting much of country’s transport network as well as millions of homes and businesses.
Millions of people across Spain are reporting that they no power at home, from Madrid to Barcelona, Valencia to Bilbao.
Trains and metro services across Spain have been evacuated or halted, and traffic jams are building up as a result of traffic lights not working.
In Barcelona, police have been deployed to help people trapped in train carriages and inside tunnels.
There are reports of shops in Madrid closing early over fears that there may be looting.
Any business in Spain without a generator is currently affected. Card payment are not generally working and many ATM machines are out of order for those hoping to withdraw money.
Most hospitals in the country have generators, allowing medical services to continue as normal.
Although Spain’s airports are also reportedly operational, the difficulties passengers are having with travel to them is likely to cause delays and other problems.
There are no reports yet of any accidents or increase in medical emergencies as a result of the apagón, as a blackout is called in Spanish.
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The Spanish government has called an emergency meeting at La Moncloa to address a plan of action for the blackout.
The country’s Interior Ministry has asked the generation population to remain calm. Articles in Spanish media suggest that some people are stockpiling batteries and other essential supplies.
Part of France and all of Portugal have also been hit by the blackout, Spanish news is reporting.
The power outage took place around 12.30 pm.
Spain’s Red Eléctrica electricity network has just announced that “power supply restoration plans are in place in collaboration with companies in the sector following the power outage on the peninsula.”
The same sources added that “they are analysing the causes and are dedicating all resources to solving it.”
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is currently on his way to the Red Eléctrica headquarters.
Spanish emergency services are asking people not to call 112 to not overwhelm the servers.
The Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla are the only part of the Spanish territory that remain unaffected.
More to follow.
