Massive blackout in Spain, Portugal: Indian-origin man shares experience in dark

A major blackout affected the large parts of Spain and Portugal for nearly 12 hours on Monday, cutting off electricity, internet, and phone networks across the region. The unexpected outage disrupted daily life but also led to unique experiences for some.

An Indian-origin man living in Portugal shared his personal account of the blackout on Instagram (@portuguese_chindians), described how the lack of power unexpectedly brought his Indian-Malaysian family closer.

“Portugal without electricity sent us back to the cave ages – which, to be honest, I didn’t mind,” he wrote.

“For a brief moment, while the entire region seemed to be in panic mode, my first thought was: my kids won’t have internet tonight.”

With no internet, no mobile signal, and no electricity, their home came to a standstill – even cooking wasn’t possible as their kitchen runs entirely on electric appliances.

But instead of frustration, the family made the most of the situation.

“We played Bananagrams, made sandwiches with leftovers, and for the first time in a while, I didn’t have to tell anyone to put down their devices — that felt liberating,” he shared.

Later in the evening, the family stepped out for a walk along pitch-dark streets, stargazing and even spotting fireflies, a rare sight in modern city life, according to him.

He concluded his post by saying:

“We ended up enjoying it a little more than we expected.”