Iberian Power Outage: Europe's Rare Massive Blackout Disrupts Daily Life

A massive power outage hit Spain and Portugal, halting public services, including transport and healthcare. Emergency meetings were held, but the cause remains unclear. Power began to return but disruptions persisted. Officials suspect large oscillations in electrical voltage as a possible cause. The incident marks a rare occurrence in Europe.

Power was gradually restored across parts of the Iberian Peninsula Monday after a rare and massive outage had halted services in both Spain and Portugal. Planes were grounded, public transport came to a standstill, and hospitals were forced to suspend routine operations during the crisis.

Amid widespread disruptions, Spain's Interior Ministry declared a national emergency, prompting emergency cabinet meetings across both nations. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the blackout, which began around 1033 GMT, with no signs yet pointing to a cyberattack, according to Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro.

Spain started seeing power restored in the Basque country, Barcelona, and Madrid by nightfall, while electricity returned to parts of Portugal, including Lisbon, late Monday. As officials race to uncover the root cause, it's suspected that a significant electrical voltage oscillation may have initially occurred within the Spanish system before affecting Portugal.

(With inputs from agencies.)