Spain is working urgently to restore power across the country after a major blackout disrupted daily life for millions on Monday. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez assured citizens that efforts are progressing and called for calm and responsible behavior during the crisis.
Speaking after an emergency government meeting, Sanchez said that although the cause of the outage remains unclear, interconnections with France and Morocco have already helped partially restore electricity in parts of northern and southern Spain.
“Combined cycles and hydroelectric plants throughout the country have also been reactivated, which should allow us to recover the supply across Spain soon,” Sanchez explained in a televised address.
Transport, Hospitals, and Air Traffic Impacted
The blackout, which struck around midday (1000 GMT), brought transport systems to a standstill. Inter-city trains have been suspended until at least Tuesday, the transport minister confirmed.
While ports and air traffic largely remained unaffected, flight operations were reduced by 20% to ensure safety and smooth operations. Meanwhile, hospitals continued functioning thanks to emergency generators, which Sanchez assured have “long autonomy.”
PM Sanchez Calls for Calm and Cooperation
Sanchez urged citizens to minimize travel and telephone usage to avoid overloading the systems. He also stressed the importance of relying on official information and warned against spreading rumors.
“Let’s not spread or pay attention to information from dubious sources, as has happened in other crises,” Sanchez said. He emphasized that fueling anxiety during such a delicate situation could worsen the crisis.
“We must focus on the most important thing: restoring electricity to our homes,” he added.
A Regional Ripple Effect
The blackout also had minor effects on neighboring Portugal and France, highlighting how interconnected energy grids can be vulnerable to widespread disruptions.
As Spain works around the clock to restore full power, the nation remains hopeful that stability will return soon.
