Traffic Hit, People Trapped In Lifts: Massive Power Cut In Spain, Portugal Brings Life To A Standstill—Watch
The power outage affected road, rail and air travel, leaving people stuck without means of transport, even as phone lines and ATM machines remained affected.
A major power outage in Spain and Portugal left people trapped in lifts, stuck on trains, while others were left in supermarkets, leading to chaos at airports and train stations.
The power outage affected road, rail and air travel, leaving people stuck without means of transport, even as phone lines and ATM machines remained affected.
In Portugal, the outage affected capital Lisbon and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts of the country. Several supermarkets in Lisbon and the resort town of Vilamoura in southern Portugal remained shut.
Chaos in Madrid because traffic lights are not working.
— Disasters Daily (@DisastersAndI) April 28, 2025
Much of Spain, Portugal and France are without power. Massive blackout. pic.twitter.com/xpZwItCeWd
Portugal's grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) said the power supply was lost across the entire Iberian peninsula and in parts of France.
Meanwhile, in Spain, power started returning to the Basque and Barcelona. However, hospitals in Madrid and Cataluna had to suspend their routine medical work, Reuters reported.
Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, in a post on X, urged city residents to minimise their journeys and remain where they are.
"It is essential that the emergency services can circulate," he said.
Traffic, Chaos And Mass Blackouts
Visuals from Madrid and other parts of Spain showed long lines of traffic, leading to chaos in Spanish towns as the traffic lights and transport networks were paralysed with the power blackout.
A massive blackout sweeps across Europe, leaving countries like France, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal without power.
— Michael & Kelley Daniels (@DanielsKel39191) April 28, 2025
The outage cripples critical infrastructure, shutting down airports, halting subway systems, and disrupting communication networks.
@ShadowsofEzra pic.twitter.com/iNhtXG1SQ3
According to Retuers, the Madrid underground was evacuated, while there were traffic jams in Madrid city centre as traffic lights stopped working.
Another video showed train halting near the countryside in Spain with passengers waiting near the rail tracks without any update on when the power would be restored.
Just in.
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) April 28, 2025
Mass Blackouts in Spain, Portugal and in part of France.
Every single part of digital life from shops, to traffic lights, hospitals, airports, phones, and trains, all down.pic.twitter.com/ETDgtfE9wk
Spanish residents also posted videos of people stuck in subways without electricity using flashlights to find their way out. In some places, police were seen regulating traffic at major intersections as the lights had stopped working and many roads were gridlocked.
The massive power outage affected airports, hospitals, subways, traffic lights, and other essential services across Western Europe.
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