28.04.2025 17:21
Power outages are occurring in five countries in Europe. Spain and Portugal have been the most affected by these outages. Due to the widespread energy cut, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the President of the Madrid Autonomous Community in Spain, has requested the declaration of a third-level emergency and the intervention of the military.
```html
A widespread power outage is affecting millions of people across Spain and Portugal.
As the extensive energy outage impacts Spain and Portugal, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the President of the Madrid Autonomous Community, called on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to declare a third-level alarm. This step will pave the way for the Spanish army to intervene directly in the energy crisis.
Authorities stated that investigations into the cause of the outage are ongoing, while the possibility of a cyber attack is also being considered.
CHAOS IN SPAIN
Traffic lights are not functioning in Madrid, causing congestion, while disruptions are occurring at Barajas Airport in the city and El Prat Airport in Barcelona.
Communication and transportation networks have been disrupted in major cities like Madrid and Barcelona, and internet services have been interrupted.
The electricity grid operator in Spain, Red Electrica Espanola (REE), confirmed on the X social media platform that a nationwide power outage is occurring. The statement noted that work is ongoing regarding the issue and the cause of the outage is not yet known.
The railway company Renfe in Spain announced that train services have been interrupted due to the "National Electricity Grid's failure" around 12:30 local time.
According to BBC news, the "Madrid Open" tennis tournament has also been suspended due to power outages.
OPERATIONS SUSPENDED
The healthcare system in Spain continues to function thanks to generators.
A spokesperson for Gregorio Maranon Hospital in Madrid stated in an interview with El Pais that an emergency committee has been activated to make decisions based on the duration of the outage.
At the 12 de Octubre Hospital in Madrid, where emergency systems have also been activated and lights are on, a spokesperson indicated that ongoing interventions are continuing, while those that have not yet started, except for emergencies, have been temporarily suspended.
It was reported that Hospital del Mar in Barcelona is operating normally.
THIRD-LEVEL ALARM FROM MADRID
According to reports in the Spanish press, Madrid Region President Ayuso requested the government to take urgent action to prevent the effects of the outage from spiraling out of control. If a third-level alarm is declared:
- The army will be deployed to crisis areas,
- Traffic, security, and essential infrastructure support services will be provided by military forces,
- Crisis management will be coordinated directly by the central government and the Ministry of Defense.
Ayuso noted that public safety is at risk, especially due to the suspension of metro services, the inability of airports to operate, and the collapse of communication networks.
"IT MAY TAKE 10 HOURS TO FIX"
In a statement from the electricity grid operator Red Electrica, it was expressed that this power outage is unprecedented in history, and it was noted that restoring electricity to a large part of the country could take 6 to 10 hours.
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL MOST AFFECTED COUNTRIES
The outage, which began at 12:00 local time, caused significant disruptions in transportation, communication, and healthcare services across Spain and Portugal. The Madrid metro was evacuated, trains stopped, and airports became inoperable.
The Spanish electricity company Red Electrica announced that electricity supply has started to be gradually restored, but returning to full normalcy may take 6-10 hours.
5 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AFFECTED
There is significant chaos in Spain, Belgium, France, Andorra, and Portugal. The simultaneous outages in these 5 countries have raised the possibility of a cyber attack. As metros were evacuated, chaos occurred on the roads due to non-functioning traffic lights. The Spanish government has decided to hold an emergency meeting following the nationwide power outage.
A SIMILAR OUTAGE OCCURRED IN 2006
On November 4, 2006, major power outages occurred in countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, starting from France.
In the incident that affected more than 15 million people, significant disruptions occurred in transportation, industry, and daily life, and electricity could not be supplied for approximately 2 hours.
Operations at airports were disrupted due to the outages, traffic lights failed, and electric trains stopped.
In a statement from the Council of Europe, the causes of the power outage were cited as insufficient security procedures and technical tools, failure to inform other European transmission operators, and inadequate investments in grid reliability and operation.
```