Three seniors have tragically passed away in Spain due to suspected carbon monoxide poisoning after using a generator during the nationwide electricity blackout that occurred yesterday, according to emergency services.
Authorities reported that the bodies were discovered in a home in Taboadela, a town with approximately 1,500 residents in the northwestern region of Galicia, alongside a domestic generator utilized by one of the victims to power an oxygen machine, as stated by regional emergency services.
Emergency responders detected “a high concentration of carbon monoxide” within the residence.
Spanish media also reported that a woman lost her life in a fire ignited by a candle in her apartment in Madrid during the blackout.
There is still no confirmed cause for the blackout, sparking Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to announce a commission to investigate the failure of the electricity network.
Error reports of fatalities coincide with the European Commission stating that the EU would glean lessons from the “unprecedented magnitude” of the blackout that affected the Iberian Peninsula the previous day.
Collaborating closely with national electricity grid operators, EU leaders will “scrutinize” the reasons behind the outage, assessing how prepared the EU was and what lessons can be derived from such a situation, as stated by Chief Commission Spokeswoman Paula Pinho.
Read more: What could be behind the Iberian power outage? Questions about power supply persist as Spain recovers from the blackout.
The commission has refrained from speculating about what might have caused the outage.
An EU official, opting to remain anonymous, indicated that the blackout should be classified as a “major” level 3 electrical incident, the highest classification by the EU for such matters.
A panel has been tasked with investigating the incident over the next six months and providing a report.
The EU is also advocating for strengthened electricity connections between Spain, Portugal, and the rest of continental Europe.
“An interconnected system within the EU benefits everyone, enhancing market integration and security of supply,” the official remarked.
Spain court investigating possible ‘sabotage’ in connection to the blackout.
Meanwhile, Spain’s top criminal court has commenced an investigation to determine whether the significant blackout that disrupted the Iberian Peninsula was “an act of computer sabotage on critical infrastructure.”
While the causes remain unclear, “cyberterrorism is among” the potential explanations considered, leading to the necessity of an investigation, as stated by the Audiencia Nacional.
Earlier, both Spain’s electricity grid operator REE and the Portuguese government ruled out a cyberattack as the cause of the extensive power outage affecting most of Spain and Portugal.
Eduardo Prieto, Chief of System Operations at REE, informed a press briefing that the electricity system is currently stable and functioning normally.
A man waits for the restoration of power inside a tram in Lisbon.
Portuguese government spokesman Antonio Leitao Amaro affirmed, “In Portugal, we have no information linking to a cyberattack or hostile act at this time.”
He noted, “There appears to have been an issue in the power transmission network” in Spain.
The substantial outage brought most of Spain and Portugal to a halt, grounding flights, disrupting public transport, and prompting hospitals to suspend routine procedures.
Portugal’s grid operator REN announced that all its power substations were back “on stream” before midnight.
The Portuguese government confirmed that train services have resumed and that “all 6.4 million electricity clients” have had their supply “normalized.”
At the peak of the outage, Spain’s Interior Ministry declared a national emergency, deploying 30,000 police officers nationwide to maintain order as the governments of both nations convened emergency cabinet meetings.
Watch: Cheers erupted from locals as power was restored on the streets of Madrid last night.
The cause remains unclear, with Portugal suggesting the issue originated in Spain while Spain pointed to a disruption in its connection to France.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro stated there was “no indication” that a cyberattack caused the blackout, which began at approximately 12:30 PM local time yesterday.
However, rumors of potential sabotage circulated, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez noted he had spoken with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Mr. Sanchez revealed that the country suffered a loss of 15GW of electricity generation within five seconds, accounting for 60% of national demand.
Technicians are actively investigating the cause of this abrupt drop, he stated.
“This is an occurrence that has never transpired before,” the Spanish Prime Minister added.
REN board member Joao Conceicao mentioned to reporters that they have not dismissed the possibility of a “very large oscillation in electrical voltage, initially in the Spanish system, which then spread to the Portuguese system.”
“There could be countless causes; it’s premature to evaluate the origin,” he explained.
Emergency services are witnessed outside Madrid’s Atocha train station as people prepared to spend the night within.
Spain’s grid operator REE attributed a connection failure with France as the catalyst for triggering subsequent effects.
“The scale of power loss surpassed what European systems can accommodate, resulting in the disconnection of the Spanish and French grids, subsequently leading to the collapse of the Spanish electrical system,” stated Eduardo Prieto.
Previously, certain regions in France experienced a brief outage. RTE, the French grid operator, noted that they initiated efforts to supply power to parts of northern Spain after the outage occurred.
In Spain, power began to return in the Basque country and Barcelona regions by early afternoon, while parts of the capital, Madrid, saw restoration last night.
Blackout causes widespread disruption across Spain and Portugal.
The blackout had extensive repercussions throughout the peninsula.
Portuguese police reported that traffic lights were affected nationwide, and metros were closed in both Lisbon and Porto, alongside numerous train cancellations across both countries.
Hospitals in Madrid and Catalonia in Spain halted all routine medical operations but continued to address critical patients utilizing backup generators.
Several Spanish oil refineries were shut down, and several retailers, including grocery chains like Lidl and furniture giant IKEA, closed their doors temporarily.
Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez announced that approximately 35,000 train passengers were rescued from stranded trains, with 11 trains still halted in remote locations.
Images from a Madrid supermarket depicted long lines at checkouts and empty shelves as individuals rushed to gather essential items, and play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended.
The Bank of Spain stated that electronic banking was functioning “adequately” on backup systems, although residents reported that ATM screens had gone dark.
Traffic congestion enveloped Madrid’s city center as traffic lights ceased to operate, prompting individuals in reflective vests to assume the responsibility of directing vehicles at intersections. Local radio reported individuals trapped in stalled metro cars and elevators.
Travelers settled on the steps as they prepared to spend the night at Atocha train station following the massive power outage in Spain.
Many Spaniards opted to take an extended break, gathering in streets and plazas for spontaneous get-togethers or cooking meals by candlelight at home.
Internet traffic plummeted by 90% in Portugal and 80% in Spain compared to levels from the previous week, as per Cloudflare Radar, which tracks global internet activity.
Approximately 43% of Spain’s energy is generated from wind and solar sources, with nuclear contributing an additional 20% and fossil fuels 23%, according to the energy think tank Ember.
Remote areas of Greenland lost access to essential satellite services, including internet and telephony, according to the telecoms group of the Arctic island, which announced plans to investigate whether this was linked to the power outage in Spain.
The Tusass telecoms company of Greenland reported that it had lost connection to satellite facilities based in Spain that provide telephone, internet, television, and radio services.
The impacted locations were remote settlements, and it remains unclear how many individuals were affected.
