Unprecedented Blackout Shakes Iberian Peninsula

A massive blackout impacted the Iberian Peninsula on Monday, caused by a sudden drop in power supply that disconnected Spain and France's electrical grids. The incident left Spain and Portugal in darkness, with power being restored later in the day as Spanish authorities investigated the cause.

A large-scale blackout enveloped the Iberian Peninsula as a sudden plummet in power supply disrupted the grid interconnection between Spain and France, revealed Spanish grid operator REE.

A 15-gigawatt loss struck the network within five seconds at approximately 1033 GMT, reported the Energy Ministry, with no detailed cause disclosed. REE's operations chief Eduardo Prieto described the event as exceeding the tolerance levels European grids are designed for, sparking grid disconnection.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, addressing the nation, indicated that no causal theories were discarded. The blackout caused significant disturbances across Spain and Portugal, with electricity being progressively reinstated by Monday evening.

(With inputs from agencies.)