Massive Power Outage Cripples Iberian Peninsula

A massive power outage struck Spain and Portugal, disrupting public transport, causing traffic jams, and impacting airports. Authorities are investigating potential causes, including cyber attacks. The outage also briefly affected France and led to suspended events such as the Madrid Open tennis tournament.

A massive power outage hit Spain and Portugal on Monday, paralysing public transport and creating large traffic jams across the countries. The outage also delayed flights, as utility operators scrambled to restore service.

Spanish electricity transmission operator Red Eléctrica warned that the outage might last up to ten hours. Officials have not yet determined the cause but haven't ruled out the possibility of a cyber attack. The chaos extended to traffic lights and metro systems, trapping people and leading to widespread gridlock.

In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Red Eléctrica's control centre while the Portuguese utility REN activated phased restoration plans. Emergency generators kept essential operations running at Portugal's Porto and Faro airports, while the European Commission worked with local authorities to investigate the outage's cause.

(With inputs from agencies.)