A major power outage struck Spain and Portugal on Monday, April 28, causing widespread disruptions.
As per multiple reports, power outage affected traffic, grounded flights, trapped people in elevators and left millions without power.
The power outage in Spain caused hospitals in Madrid and Catalonia to stope their medical work but they still managed to provide care for critical patients using backup generators, reported Reuters.
Meanwhile, many oil refineries and retail businesses in Spain were force to close.
As per the reports, the Bank of Spain confirmed that electronic banking continued to operate on backup systems but some ATM screens had gone black.
The power outage in Portugal led to warnings about disruptions to water supplies.
Additionally, the power failure caused the suspension of the Madrid Open tennis tournament.
The outage affected the scoreboards and overhead cameras, leading to a suspension of the match.
Traffic jams were reported in the city center as traffic lights stopped working, causing significant disruptions to transportation in Madrid.
Why did the power outage happen?
Shortly after the power outage occurred both countries' governments held emergency meetings.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a national address, "We do not yet have conclusive information on the reasons for this (power) cut, so I ask the people, as we have done in past crises, to inform themselves through official channels."
He further elaborated, "For the time being, there's no evidence of any civil protection problems. I repeat, there are no problems of insecurity."
