Officials break silence

Spain and Portugal are facing major chaos after a massive power outage struck the Iberian Peninsula and parts of southern France on April 28. The blackout left cities like Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Seville without electricity or internet, halting trains, flights, and forcing evacuations from underground systems. Officials have linked the outage to a rare atmospheric phenomenon that caused extreme oscillations in high-voltage lines, disrupting the interconnected European power grid. Although some areas are slowly regaining power with help from neighboring countries like France, millions remain affected.

Portuguese officials warned the outage could last up to a week, though their Prime Minister expressed hope for faster recovery. Meanwhile, scenes of people stranded at airports, walking on train tracks, and queuing for cash machines have gone viral. Authorities have ruled out a cyberattack, but experts highlight that growing reliance on solar power may have made the grid more vulnerable to such disruptions. Efforts to fully restore power continue, but officials caution that normal service will take time to resume.