Power failure in Spain and Portugal stops trains, flights and traffic lights

Power failure in Spain and Portugal stops trains, flights and traffic lights

A massive power failure hit large parts of Spain and Portugal on Monday morning. This led to a failure of the traffic lights and ensured chaos at airports, train stations and on the streets.

causes of the power failure

The operator of the Portuguese power grid, Redes Energéticas Nacionais (ren), reported that the power supply was lost on the entire Iberian Peninsula and in parts of France. The Spanish network operator Red Eléctrica said that the restoration of the care was restored. In the afternoon there were partially restoring in northern and southern Spain. "The causes are analyzed and all resources are mobilized to fix the problem," said the company.

chaos in traffic

The power failure led to a complete failure of screens, lighting and sockets in the region. The Portuguese police advised the citizens to avoid unnecessary trips because the traffic lights are at risk. "Reduce your speed and pay particular attention to it," her words. "Safe driving style has priority: their serenity saves life." In Madrid, the vehicles build up after the lights had failed.

affected citizens report

"I drove and suddenly there were no more traffic lights ... it was like in the jungle," said Luis Ibáñez Jiménez in an interview with CNN. "I saw a huge bus coming and had to accelerate to drive past." The cause of the sudden power failure remains unclear, but the impact was dramatic.

reactions of the authorities

The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, asked the population to minimize their movements and only choose the emergency call in urgent cases. He also asked the citizens to keep the streets free.

emergency measures in Portugal

The National Institute for Medical emergencies Portugal announced that it had activated its emergency plan and that telephone services and IT systems are operated via an emergency generator. The Spanish Ministry of Health announced that similar measures were taken in hospitals there.

flight and train failures

flights at important airports in the region were suddenly late or canceled, which panicked travelers. Online flight trackers reported that several airports no longer had regular departures in the afternoon. Ellie Kenny, a vacationer at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, reported hundreds of people who were in the dark in snakes, without air conditioning or running water. Business only accepted cash, Kenny continued.

effects on train traffic

The Spanish train operator Renfe announced that the trains had stopped and departures had been canceled. Passengers were immersed in the dark in the subway tunnels. Videos that were divided on social media showed dark subway cars that were stuck on the platforms in Madrid while the metro was out of operation and the entrances to the stations were cordoned off.

episodes in France

Some parts of southern France, near the Spanish border, were also sporadically affected. Emilie Gridie, a spokeswoman for the French electricity transmission operator RTE, informed CNN about a "low power failure" in Basque Country: "It only took a few minutes and was quickly remedied," she said.

This situation continues to develop and is constantly updated.

Reporter for CNN: Vasco Cotovio, Jack Guy and Saskya Vandoorne.