Europe blackout: Spain, Portugal, parts of France experience massive power outage

Panic spread across several European countries as sudden power outages hit Spain, Portugal, and France, as per reports. Multiple cities experienced unexpected blackouts, disrupting air and rail services.

In Spain, all trains reportedly came to a halt at their locations, hospitals switched to backup generators, and authorities instructed hospitals to shut down computers to conserve generator power.

A special committee has been formed in Spain to manage the situation, noted the reports. While the exact cause of the outage remains unknown, Spanish officials reportedly suspect a cyberattack.

Citizens have been urged not to make unnecessary calls to emergency services.

In Portugal, a country with a population of 10 million, the blackout caused widespread disruption. Traffic lights reportedly stopped working and railways came to a standstill, creating severe difficulties for commuters.

Similar issues have been reported in several cities across France.

Monday’s play at the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain has also been suspended due to the power cut that is affecting parts of Spain and Portugal.

Two singles matches and one doubles match at the ATP Masters 1000 event were underway when power was lost at 12.34 pm local time (4.05 pm IST). The cut is prevented the use of electronic line calling systems and also left a spider cam dangling over the court inside Monolo Santana Stadium, where Grigor Dimitrov led Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 5-4 when play was stopped.